outshine

verb

out·​shine ˌau̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone ˌau̇t-ˈshōn 

especially British -ˈshän

or outshined; outshining

transitive verb

1

a

: to shine brighter than

b

: to excel in splendor or showiness

But among foliage tourists, peak means one day that will outshine all others.

—Madeline Drexler

2

: outdo, surpass

… a self-made man with an ego that outshone his rhinestone-bedazzled … suits.

—Sarah Smarsh

intransitive verb

: to shine out

Synonyms of outshine

• surpass
• exceed
• eclipse
• better
• top

Examples of outshine in a Sentence

She outshines all the other actors in the film.

the trumpeter outshines all of his fellow band members

Recent Examples on the Web

Amidst this noise, what will decide the dollar’s supremacy is not its perfection but its ability to outshine others. — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Great game day eats can sometimes outshine what happens on the field. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026

In a World Cup boasting a galaxy of stars, a lunch-bucket team of blue-collar everymen may wind up outshining them all. — Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

What's more, astronomers believe tonight (July 14) may be the best time to spot the comet, as a new moon means our celestial neighbor won't outshine it in the night sky. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for outshine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

outshine

verb

out·​shine (ˈ)au̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone -ˈshōn  ; outshining

1

: to shine brighter than

2

: excel, surpass