shine
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to give off light or glow brightly.
v.to emit light or be bright by reflection of light.
Simple“The sun began to shine through the clouds after the storm passed.”
In context“The lighthouse lantern continued to shine across the bay, providing a steady guide for the returning fishing fleet.”
PitfallThe sun has shined all day. The sun has shone all day.When 'shine' means to emit light, the past tense is usually 'shone'. Use 'shined' for polishing or pointing a light.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to be very good at something or to stand out because of your talent.
v.to be eminent or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual or creative powers in a specific field.
Simple“She really started to shine once she joined the school drama club.”
In context“While he struggled with written exams, he truly began to shine during the practical laboratory sessions where his technical skills were evident.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to aim a light, like a flashlight, in a certain direction.
v.to direct the light from a source, such as a torch or lamp, toward a specific object or area.
Simple“The guard shined his flashlight into the dark corner of the warehouse.”
In context“The rescue team shined their powerful spotlights onto the cliff face to locate the stranded climbers before nightfall.”
UsageIn this sense, the past tense is usually 'shined' rather than 'shone'.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to rub something until it becomes smooth and bright.
v.to make an object smooth and bright by rubbing or polishing, often with a chemical agent.
Simple“He shined his shoes until he could see his reflection in them.”
In context“The butler shined the silver cutlery daily to ensure it met the exacting standards of the household.”
UsageThe past tense for this sense is always 'shined'.
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.the bright light that comes from the sun or a smooth surface.
n.the quality of brightness from a source of light or the reflection from a polished surface.
Simple“The wax gave the old wooden table a beautiful, healthy shine.”
In context“The morning sun had a particular shine that made the dew on the grass look like scattered diamonds.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
n.to suddenly start liking someone very much.
n.a sudden or spontaneous liking or fancy for a person.
Simple“The boss really took a shine to the new intern and gave her more responsibility.”
In context“It was clear that the elderly cat had taken a shine to the visitor, as it rarely approached strangers so readily.”
UsageAlmost always used in the phrase 'to take a shine to someone'.
Usage shine a light
From Middle English shinen, schinen (preterite schon, past participle schinen), from Old English sċīnan (“to shine, flash; be resplendent”; preterite sċān, past participle sċinen), from Proto-West Germanic skīnan (“to shine”), from Proto-Germanic skīnaną (“to shine”).
From the noun shine, or perhaps continuing Middle English schinen in its causative uses, from Old English scīn (“brightness, shine”), and also Middle English schenen, from Old English scǣnan (“to render brilliant, make shine”), from Proto-Germanic skainijaną, causative of skīnaną (“to shine”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.