Shine Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Published on May 25, 2024
Shine refers to emit light or be bright, often used metaphorically to describe excellence or standout performance. e.g., The polished silverware shone under the bright lights.
Table of Contents
Shine Definitions
To emit light brightly.
The sun shone brightly after the rain.
To polish something to make it bright.
He shone his shoes until they looked new.
To become clear or apparent.
The truth finally shone through her words.
To have a radiant or healthy appearance.
Her face shone with happiness.
To emit light.
To reflect light; glint or glisten.
To distinguish oneself in an activity or a field; excel.
To be immediately apparent
Delight shone in her eyes.
To aim or cast the beam or glow of (a light).
Past tense and past participle shined To make glossy or bright by polishing.
Brightness from a source of light; radiance.
Brightness from reflected light; luster.
A shoeshine.
Excellence in quality or appearance; splendor.
Fair weather
Rain or shine.
Shines(Informal) Pranks or tricks.
(Slang) Whiskey; moonshine.
Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a black person.
To emit or reflect light so as to glow.
To reflect light.
To distinguish oneself; to excel.
My nephew tried other sports before deciding on football, which he shone at right away, quickly becoming the star of his school team.
To be effulgent in splendour or beauty.
To be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual powers.
To be immediately apparent.
(transitive) To create light with (a flashlight, lamp, torch, or similar).
I shone my light into the darkness to see what was making the noise.
(transitive) To cause to shine, as a light or by reflected light.
In hunting, to shine the eyes of a deer at night by throwing a light on them
(transitive) To cause (something) to shine; put a shine on (something); polish (something).
He shined my shoes until they were polished smooth and gleaming.
To polish a cricket ball using saliva and one’s clothing.
Brightness from a source of light.
Brightness from reflected light.
Excellence in quality or appearance; splendour.
Shoeshine.
Sunshine.
(slang) Moonshine; illicitly brewed alcoholic drink.
(cricket) The amount of shininess on a cricket ball, or on each side of the ball.
(slang) A liking for a person; a fancy.
She's certainly taken a shine to you.
A caper; an antic; a row.
To emit rays of light; to give light; to beam with steady radiance; to exhibit brightness or splendor; as, the sun shines by day; the moon shines by night.
Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine.
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Cghrist.
Let thine eyes shine forth in their full luster.
To be bright by reflection of light; to gleam; to be glossy; as, to shine like polished silver.
To be effulgent in splendor or beauty.
Once brightest shined this child of heat and air.
To be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual powers; as, to shine in courts; to shine in conversation.
Few are qualified to shine in company; but it in most men's power to be agreeable.
To cause to shine, as a light.
He [God] doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally.
To make bright; to cause to shine by reflected light; as, in hunting, to shine the eyes of a deer at night by throwing a light on them.
The quality or state of shining; brightness; luster, gloss; polish; sheen.
Now sits not girt with taper's holy shine.
Fair opening to some court's propitious shine.
The distant shine of the celestial city.
Sunshine; fair weather.
Be it fair or foul, or rain or shine.
A liking for a person; a fancy.
Caper; antic; row.
Shining; sheen.
The quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
Be bright by reflecting or casting light;
Drive carefully--the wet road reflects
Emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light;
The sun shone bright that day
The fire beamed on their faces
Be shiny, as if wet;
His eyes were glistening
Be distinguished or eminent;
His talent shines
Be clear and obvious;
A shining example
Especially of the complexion: show a strong bright color, such as red or pink;
Her face glowed when she came out of the sauna
Throw or flash the light of (a lamp, etc.);
Shine the light on that window, please
Touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly;
Light fell on her face
The sun shone on the fields
The light struck the golden necklace
A strange sound struck my ears
Experience a feeling of well-being or happiness, as from good health or an intense emotion;
She was beaming with joy
Her face radiated with happiness
(of surfaces) make shine;
Shine the silver, please
Polish my shoes
To be distinguished in a particular area.
She shines in her role as a teacher.
To excel or perform exceptionally well.
He shone at the chess tournament.
To direct a light on something.
The flashlight shone on the path ahead.
To be conspicuously brilliant or talented.
The young artist shone among her peers.
To make something apparent by contrast.
Her kindness shone in times of crisis.
Shine Snonyms
Glisten
To shine with a sparkling light.
The snow glistened under the streetlights.
Gleam
To emit a bright but subdued or diffused light.
The polished floors gleamed.
Glow
To emit a steady light without flame.
The candles glowed softly in the dark room.
Sparkle
To shine or glitter rapidly and intermittently.
The diamond ring sparkled in the light.
Glitter
To shine with a brilliant, sparkling light.
The sequined dress glittered at the party.
Brighten
To make or become bright or brighter.
Her presence brightened the room.
Flourish
To grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, often used metaphorically for people.
Under her care, the garden flourished.
Radiate
To emit energy, especially light or heat, in all directions.
Her smile radiated warmth.
Illuminate
To light up or make clear.
The lanterns illuminated the path.
Beacon
To shine or signal like a light beacon.
The lighthouse beaconed across the stormy sea.
Shine Idioms & Phrases
Make it shine
To refine or improve something so it is at its best.
She worked hard to make her presentation shine.
Shine up to someone
To try to impress or curry favor with someone.
He shone up to the boss in hopes of a promotion.
Take a shine to someone
To quickly begin to like or admire someone.
He took a shine to his new teacher on the first day of school.
Shine bright like a diamond
To stand out exceptionally well.
In her new role, she shone bright like a diamond.
Shine Example Sentences
His talent for singing really shine through.
She always shine in academic competitions.
Common Curiosities
How many syllables are in shine?
There is one syllable in "shine."
How is shine used in a sentence?
Shine can describe emitting light or excelling, e.g., The student's creativity allowed her to shine in the art competition.
What is a stressed syllable in shine?
Since shine has only one syllable, that syllable ("shine") is stressed.
What is the root word of shine?
The root of "shine" is the Old English word "scinan," which means to emit light.
Why is it called shine?
Shine is called so because it comes from the Old English word "scinan," meaning "to shed light" or "be bright," reflecting its essence of emitting light or brilliance.
What part of speech is shine?
Shine is a verb.
What is another term for shine?
Another term for shine is "glow."
What is the second form of shine?
The second form of shine can be "shined" (especially when used transitively) or "shone" (intransitive or when referring to emitting light).
What is the singular form of shine?
Shine is both singular and plural; it does not change form because it is a verb.
How do we divide shine into syllables?
Shine is not divided into syllables, as it is a single-syllable word.
What is the plural form of shine?
As a verb, shine does not have a plural form.
What is the verb form of shine?
Shine itself is the base form of the verb. Its past tense can be "shone" or "shined," depending on the context, and its present participle is "shining."
What is the pronunciation of shine?
Shine is pronounced as /ʃaɪn/.
Is shine a negative or positive word?
Shine is generally a positive word, associated with brightness, excellence, or quality.
Which determiner is used with shine?
Determiners are not typically used with verbs like shine. When shine is a noun, determiners such as "the" can be used (e.g., "the shine of the moon").
What is the first form of shine?
The first form of shine is "shine," which is the base or present tense form.
What is the opposite of shine?
The opposite of shine can be "dim" or "dull," depending on the context.
Is shine a noun or adjective?
Shine can act as a noun (e.g., the shine of a polished surface) and as a verb (e.g., to emit light). It is not typically used as an adjective.
Is shine an adverb?
No, shine is not an adverb; it is primarily a verb and can also be used as a noun.
Is shine a vowel or consonant?
The question doesn’t apply directly to shine as it is a word, not a letter. However, it begins with the consonant "s."
Is the word “shine” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Shine, as a verb, can have a direct object (e.g., "He shined his flashlight") but it does not serve as a direct or indirect object because it is not a noun.
Which vowel is used before shine?
The use of a vowel before "shine" depends on the context of the sentence, not a specific rule applicable to the word itself.
What is the third form of shine?
The third form of shine is similar to the second, "shined" or "shone," depending on the usage.
Is the word shine imperative?
Shine can be used in the imperative mood as a command or encouragement, e.g., "Shine, my dear, in everything you do."
Which conjunction is used with shine?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with shine, depending on the sentence structure.
Which article is used with shine?
As a verb, shine does not use articles. When used as a noun, it can be preceded by "the" or "a," depending on context.
Is shine an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, shine refers to the quality or condition of brightness, which can be considered somewhat abstract.
Is shine a collective noun?
No, shine is not a collective noun.
Is the shine term a metaphor?
Shine can be used metaphorically to describe someone excelling or a quality that stands out positively.
Is the word shine Gerund?
When used with -ing, "shining" acts as a gerund, which is a verb form used as a noun.
Is shine a countable noun?
When used as a noun, shine is usually uncountable; it refers to an overall quality of brightness or polish.
Which preposition is used with shine?
Common prepositions used with shine include "on" (to direct light towards) and "with" (to indicate the source of brightness).
Share Your Discovery
Previous Term
Flatter Definition and MeaningNext Term
Matching Definition and MeaningAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.