shine

verb

\ ˈshīn

shone\ ˈshōn

, especially Canadian and British ˈshän

\ or shined; shining

Definition of shine

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to emit rays of light

2 : to be bright by reflection of light

3a : to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished shines in math

b : to perform extremely well when will stocks really shine again?— Temma Ehrenfeld

4 : to have a bright glowing appearance his face shone with enthusiasm

5 : to be conspicuously evident or clear

transitive verb

1a : to cause to emit light

b : to throw or direct the light of

2 past tense and past participle shined : to make bright by polishing shined his shoes

shine

noun

Definition of shine (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : brightness caused by the emission of light

2 : brightness caused by the reflection of light : luster the shine of polished silver

3 : brilliance, splendor still has a shine about her

4 : fair weather : sunshine rain or shine

5 : trick, caper —usually used in plural

6 : liking, fancy took a shine to him

7a : a polish or gloss given to shoes

b : a single polishing of a pair of shoes

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about shine

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Synonyms for shine

Synonyms: Verb

beam, radiate, ray

Synonyms: Noun

burnish, gloss, luminance, luster (or lustre), polish, sheen

Examples of shine in a Sentence

Verb

The sun was shining through the clouds. lamps shining from the windows She found a sport where she can really shine.

Noun

the shine of polished silver He had a nice shine on his shoes. Would you like a shine?

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Wasp is the smarter, more qualified and better trained hero who finally has her chance to shine. — Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Editor Says Scott Lang Needs to Find "Balance" in the Sequel," 5 July 2018 Baking them into a pie might be their last chance to shine before the compost bucket beckons. — Melissa Clark, New York Times, "The Perfect Pie for Less-Than-Perfect Berries," 29 June 2018 When your hair is short, your natural texture really gets a chance to shine. — Janell Hickman, Allure, "How to Nail Your "Big Chop" and Grow Out Your Natural Hair," 26 June 2018 The quartet of units introduced Wanna One’s set by showcasing a short sample of each song, which gave each of the 11-members a chance to shine brightly in the spotlight before joining together to perform several singles. — Tamar Herman, Billboard, "5 Highlights From the Second Night of KCON 2018 NY," 25 June 2018 A few days before the election, Weyeneth had another chance to shine. — Robert O'harrow Jr., Anchorage Daily News, "Promoted six times and then fired: A 24-year-old political appointee's wild ride in Trump's Washington," 15 June 2018 Loftus-Cheek is sensible to keep his options open given Chelsea's poor track record for providing academy graduates with a chance to shine. — SI.com, "England Star Ruben Loftus-Cheek Issues Chelsea With a Warning Ahead of Next Season," 10 June 2018 Allison is taking the show on the road, with a stop that will give some Florida storytellers a chance to shine at The Abbey in downtown Orlando (7 p.m. Saturday, 100 S. Eola Ave. — Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Kevin Allison gets Risk-y in Orlando," 8 June 2018 Fresh mozzarella, shredded basil and a very basic red sauce give the crust a chance to shine. — Beth Segal, cleveland.com, "Il Rione Pizzeria: A passion for pizza in Gordon Square," 11 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Taking a shine to Nick, Mr. Xavier asks him to write his biography. — Jason Zweig, WSJ, "When Charlie Munger Calls, Listen and Learn," 25 Jan. 2019 Use the spray for general cleaning, use the powder dissolved in hot water for high-strength cleaning, and use an abrasive paper such as 3M Sandblaster for sanding between paint coats or taking the shine off enameled surfaces. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The 4 Biggest Painting Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)," 16 Jan. 2019 Take for example a Fornasetti umbrella stand, that will infuse your hallway with a touch of Italianate surrealism, rain or shine. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Organization, but Make it Fashion: 12 Home Items That Are Chic and Functional," 17 Jan. 2019 High shine and pailetted opulence of a ’70s stripe informed the evening choices of Adwoa Aboah (in Halpern), Marion Cotillard (in Chanel haute couture), and Emma Stone (in custom Louis Vuitton). — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "10 Best Dressed: Week of October 1, 2018," 1 Oct. 2018 Similar to skin exfoliation, a scalp detox involves applying cleansing ingredients — like pore-clearing charcoal or antibacterial oils — to draw out impurities and restore shine and vibrancy to hair. — New York Times, "How to Detox Your Scalp for Healthier Hair," 3 July 2018 Finish with a spritz of hairspray for shine and hold, and add the floral hat to align with the part. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "The Secret to Kate Middleton’s Shiny Royal Wedding Hair," 21 May 2018 But the controversial American won't let that take the shine off his first major triumph, secured Sunday after the challenges of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler all fell away. — Don Riddell, CNN, "Patrick Reed confronts negative headlines: 'I am who I am'," 9 Apr. 2018 But there’s much more to these new lawmakers than just a camera-friendly shine. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "The Bad Girls' Caucus Has Been Sworn In and Congress May Never Be the Same," 3 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.