shining — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Emitting light.

   Synonyms

   glowingluminous

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.

2. Reflecting light.

   Synonyms

   mirrorlikerelucent

3. Having a high polish or sheen.

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   He was at the wedding, too. His beard was flowinger and redder, and the part in the back of his head shininger than ever. He had an elegant time. He was so full of himself you would have thought it was his own party.

   Hardly knowing what he meant, she plucked a many-headed specimen with a long stalk. At the end of it was such a shining needle that it dazzled her eyes so that she couldn’t see how she did the sewing up with it. But however it was done, the torn sleeve, she says, “didn’t look like wanting mending any more, but was better tore ’cos it let you see he had a shininger coat under.”

4. Having exceptional merit.

   Examples

   a shining example

   More examples (1)

   Jill had, as you might say quite fallen in love with the Unicorn. She thought—and she wasn’t far wrong—that he was the shiningest, delicatest, most graceful animal she had ever met: and he was so gentle and soft of speech that, if you hadn’t known, you would hardly have believed how fierce and terrible he could be in battle.

Noun

1. A bright emission of light; a gleam.

Adjective

1. marked by exceptional merit

   Examples

   had shining virtues and few faults

   a shining example

2. made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow

   Synonyms

   brightburnishedlustrousshiny

   Examples

   bright silver candlesticks

   a burnished brass knocker

   More examples (3)

   she brushed her hair until it fell in lustrous auburn waves

   rows of shining glasses

   shiny black patents

3. reflecting light

   Synonyms

   glisteningglossylustroussheenyshiny

   Examples

   glistening bodies of swimmers

   the horse's glossy coat

   More examples (3)

   lustrous auburn hair

   saw the moon like a shiny dime on a deep blue velvet carpet

   shining white enamel

Noun

1. the work of making something smooth and shiny by rubbing or waxing it

   Synonyms

   polishing

   Broader terms

   work

   Examples

   the shining of shoes provided a meager living

   every Sunday he gave his car a good polishing