- 1[intransitive] to produce or reflect light; to be bright The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky. A light was shining in the distance. The dark polished wood shone like glass. (figurative) Her eyes were shining with excitement. Excitement was shining in her eyes.
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- 2[transitive] shine something (+ adv./prep.) to aim or point the light of a lamp, etc. in a particular direction He shined the flashlight around the cellar. (figurative) Campaigners are shining a spotlight on the world's diminishing natural resources.
- 3[transitive] shine something to polish something; to make something smooth and bright He shined shoes and sold newspapers to make money.
- 4[intransitive] to be very good at something He failed to shine academically but he was very good at sports. She has set a shining example of loyal service over four decades. see shiny Thesaurusshine
- gleam
- glow
- sparkle
- glisten
- shimmer
- glitter
- twinkle
- glint
- shine to produce or reflect light, especially brightly:The sun was shining and the sky was blue.
- gleam to shine with a clear bright or pale light, especially a reflected light:The moonlight gleamed on the water.
- glow (often of something hot or warm) to produce a dull, steady light:The end of his cigarette glowed red.
- sparkle to shine brightly with small flashes of light:The diamonds sparkled in the light.
- glisten (of something wet) to shine:Her eyes were glistening with tears.
- shimmer to shine with a soft light that seems to shake slightly:The road seemed to shimmer in the heat.
- glitter to shine brightly with small flashes of reflected light:The ceiling of the cathedral glittered with gold.
- There is very little difference in meaning between these two words. Glitter can sometimes suggest a lack of depth, but this is more frequent in the figurative use of glitter as a noun:the superficial glitter of show business. Sparkle is also often used to talk about light reflected off a surface, but things that produce light can also sparkle:The fireworks sparkled in the sky.
- twinkle to shine with a light that changes rapidly from bright to faint to bright again:Stars twinkled in the sky.
- glint to give small bright flashes of reflected light:The blade of the knife glinted in the darkness.
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint on something
- to shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/twinkle/glint with something
- to shine/gleam/sparkle/glisten/shimmer/glitter/glint in the sunlight/moonlight
- the stars shine/sparkle/glitter/twinkle
- somebody's eyes shine/gleam/glow/sparkle/glisten/glitter/twinkle/glint
- to shine/gleam/glow/glitter brightly
- to shine/gleam/glow/shimmer softly
verb jump to other results
NAmE//ʃaɪn//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they shine he / she / it shines
past simple shone
-ing form shining
a man who saves someone, especially a woman, from a dangerous situation
to make good use of opportunities, good conditions, etc. while they last
usually used to tell someone to get out of bed and be active Phrasal Verbsshine through
Check pronunciation: shine