1
: to emit rays of light
2
: to be bright by reflection of light
3
a
: to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished
shines in math
b
: to perform extremely well
when will stocks really shine again?—
Temma Ehrenfeld
Temma Ehrenfeld4
: to have a bright glowing appearance
his face shone with enthusiasm
5
: to be conspicuously evident or clear
1
a
: 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
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
7
a
: a polish or gloss given to shoes
b
: a single polishing of a pair of shoes
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
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Open through Sunday, the three-floor immersive experience brings fans through the card-collecting world, creating both a way to shine a spotlight on stars such as Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui and educating how Topps has built its passionate baseball card-collecting community.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
That’s because the ingredients list includes oil-absorbing microspheres that actually absorb surface oils in effort to reduce any excess shine.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shine
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The full moon was seen shining its crimson light over the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Open through Sunday, the three-floor immersive experience brings fans through the card-collecting world, creating both a way to shine a spotlight on stars such as Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui and educating how Topps has built its passionate baseball card-collecting community.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
Lastly, a squeegee will also give glass a streak-free shine and is ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach spots.
2.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
That’s because the ingredients list includes oil-absorbing microspheres that actually absorb surface oils in effort to reduce any excess shine.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shine
Cite this Entry
“Shine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shine. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shine
1 of 2 verb
shone
ˈshōn 
or shined; shining
or shined; shining
1
: to give light
the stars shone brightly
2
: to be glossy : gleam
polished the buttons until they shone like gold
3
: to be outstanding : show talent
on stage where I could really shine
4
: to cause to give light
shine a flashlight
5
: to make bright by polishing
shined my shoes
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