ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shone

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈʃoʊn// UK //ʃˈɒn// shone

v. the past tense of shine. It means something gave off light or looked very bright.

v. the past tense and past participle of 'shine'. Refers to the emission or reflection of light.


SIMPLE

The sun shone brightly all afternoon.

CONTEXTUAL

The lighthouse beam shone across the dark water, guiding the ships safely into the harbor.

COMPLEX

The moonlight shone through the gaps in the heavy curtains, casting long, silver shadows across the wooden floor of the bedroom.

Synonyms
Usage

Intransitive when referring to light emission; the transitive past tense for polishing an object is usually 'shined'.

Pitfall

The sun shined yesterday.The sun shone yesterday.For natural light or brightness, 'shone' is the standard past tense; 'shined' is typically reserved for the act of polishing something.

© 2026 English Reference