INDEX:
1. when light comes from the sun, a lamp, a surface etc
2. to shine with small bright points of light
3. when something shines in the dark
4. having a surface that shines
5. having a surface that shines like metal
6. the shiny appearance of something
7. not shiny
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ BRIGHT
↑ LIGHT
↑ CLEAN
↑ REFLECT
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1. when light comes from the sun, a lamp, a surface etc
▷ shine /ʃaɪn/ [intransitive verb]
if the sun, a lamp etc shines, it sends out bright light :
▪ It wasn’t very warm, but at least the sun was shining.
▪ She could see the lights of Hong Kong shining in the distance.
▪ A light shone in a window of one of the houses.
shine in/on
▪ Could you move that lamp? It’s shining right in my eyes.
shine brightly
▪ The streetlights shone brightly and the sidewalks were filled with people.
▷ glow /gləʊ/ [intransitive verb]
to make a warm soft light that is not very bright :
▪ The evening sun glowed in the sky.
▪ A few lumps of coal still glowed in the fire.
▪ The windows were glowing with a warm, yellow light.
glow [singular noun]
glow of
▪ There faces were lit by the warm glow of the fire.
▷ gleam /gliːm/ [intransitive verb]
to shine brightly, especially by throwing back light off a very smooth surface :
▪ A Rolls Royce was parked outside, gleaming in the sunshine.
▪ The floors gleamed, and the house smelled sweetly of soap and fresh air.
▪ The old walnut dining table gleamed under the chandelier.
gleam with
▪ On his left was the galley, a tiny kitchen gleaming with stainless steel.
gleaming [adjective]
▪ In the candlelight, Nula’s gleaming hair fell like silk on her shoulders.
gleam [singular noun]
gleam of
▪ I heard the back door of the house open, and saw the gleam of a lantern.
▷ blaze /bleɪz/ [intransitive verb]
to give off an extremely bright light :
▪ The midday sun blazed down on us.
▪ The windows of the cathedral were blazing with coloured light.
▪ Lights blazed in every room in the house.
blazing [adjective only before noun]
▪ A line of camels moved across the dunes under a blazing sky.
blaze [singular noun]
blaze of
▪ The rabbit stopped, caught in the blaze of the car’s headlights.
▷ flash /flæʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to shine brightly for a very short time, or make something do this :
▪ Lightning flashed across the sky.
▪ A police car sped through the intersection, lights flashing.
flash something at/toward/into somebody/something
▪ Why did that guy flash his headlights at me?
flash [countable noun]
▪ There was a bright flash of light as the bomb exploded.
▷ flicker /ˈflɪkəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
use this about a weak flame or light that keeps becoming almost dark, so that it seems to be soon going to stop shining :
▪ The candle flickered a few times and then went out.
▪ The lights flickered; I wondered if we were about to lose our power.
▷ blink /blɪŋk/ [intransitive verb]
if a light on a machine blinks, it goes on and off, especially in order to make you notice something :
▪ When I got in, the message light on my answering machine was blinking.
▪ The neon lights on the theater blinked red and blue.
2. to shine with small bright points of light
▷ sparkle /ˈspɑːʳk ə l/ [intransitive verb]
if something such as a jewel, water, or ice sparkles, it shines with many small, bright points of light, especially under the light :
▪ She wore a diamond necklace, which sparkled in the light of the fire.
▪ Dwayne’s eyes sparkled as he laughed.
▪ When the sun came up, the snow sparkled as if it were studded with millions of diamonds.
sparkling [adjective only before noun]
▪ a pair of beautiful sparkling earrings
▷ twinkle /ˈtwɪŋk ə l/ [intransitive verb]
if something such as a light, or a star twinkles, it shines in the dark or under the light with small points of light :
▪ The lights of the town twinkled faintly in the distance.
▪ Over her shoulder, the stars twinkled in the black sky.
▷ glitter /ˈglɪtəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
if something such as a jewel, a star, or ice glitters, it shines attractively, especially under the light, with very bright, small points of light :
▪ The frost glittered on the ground.
▪ Jewels glittered in the dim light of the cave.
▪ The chandelier glittered, its crystal teardrops like small golden suns.
▷ shimmer /ˈʃɪməʳ/ [intransitive verb] especially written
to shine with a soft light that seems to move very slightly and very quickly up and down or from side to side :
▪ When he moved, his silk green shirt shimmered.
▪ The lake shimmered in the moonlight.
▷ glisten /ˈglɪs ə n/ [intransitive verb]
if something glistens, it shines because it is wet or oily and shines the light back from its surface :
▪ The grey roofs glistened after the rain.
glisten with
▪ When we finished the set, Katie’s face was red and glistening with sweat.
3. when something shines in the dark
▷ luminous /ˈluːmɪnəs, ˈluːmənəs/ [adjective]
something that is luminous shines in the dark, especially because it is made from or painted with a substance that shines :
▪ It’s a good idea to paint your bike with luminous paint so that you are more visible to motorists.
▪ He couldn’t tell what time it was since his watch didn’t have a luminous dial.
▷ fluorescent /flʊ ə ˈres ə ntǁflʊ ə -, flɔː-/ [adjective]
made from a very brightly coloured material which throws back light from its surface very strongly, and can easily be seen :
▪ If you plan to jog along roadsides, it’s a good idea to wear at least one article of fluorescent clothing.
▪ I’m sorry, but fluorescent green socks are just not suitable for a job interview.
▷ glow in the dark /ˌgləʊ ɪn ðə ˈdɑːʳk/ [verb phrase]
something that glows in the dark gives off a continuous soft light and can be easily seen when it is dark, especially because it is covered in special paint :
▪ One of the children was playing with a yo-yo which glowed in the dark.
▪ Outside the cathedral, vendors were selling small statues of the Virgin which glowed in the dark.
▷ Day-Glo /ˈdeɪ gləʊ/ [adjective] trademark
having a very bright orange, green, yellow, or pink color :
▪ Dickie was dressed in a Day-Glo orange vest, jeans and running shoes.
▪ Outside the club, a woman was handing out day-glo green fliers.
4. having a surface that shines
▷ shiny /ˈʃaɪni/ [adjective]
▪ She wore a fashionable jacket and high shiny boots.
▪ At 7:30 p.m. sharp, a shiny limousine pulled in front of the building.
▪ To keep the surface shiny, apply a clear, high-gloss varnish.
▷ glossy /ˈglɒsiǁˈglɔːsi, ˈglɑːsi/ [adjective]
glossy hair or fur looks shiny and healthy; glossy magazines and books use expensive shiny paper :
▪ She stroked the horse’s long glossy neck.
▪ There was a stack of glossy magazines on the coffee table.
▷ sleek /sliːk/ [adjective]
hair or fur that is sleek is shiny and smooth, especially because it is in good condition :
▪ The cat purred as Ben stroked its sleek fur.
▪ Linda looked wonderful at the party; her hair was long and sleek, her make-up perfect.
▷ silky /ˈsɪlki/ [adjective]
hair, material etc that is silky is soft and smooth to touch and looks shiny :
▪ You’re so lucky to have such lovely, silky hair.
▪ Her skirt and jacket were made of smooth, silky fabric.
▷ polished /ˈpɒlɪʃtǁˈpɑː-/ [adjective]
something such as wood, metal, or stone that is polished has been made shiny by being rubbed :
▪ Her nails were beautifully shaped and polished.
▪ a polished oak floor
▷ gleaming /ˈgliːmɪŋ/ [adjective]
gleaming objects or vehicles are shiny because they are very new or clean :
▪ Every surface in the kitchen was polished and gleaming.
▪ A gleaming Harley Davidson motorcycle stood parked outside the bar.
▷ shimmering /ˈʃɪmərɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
shining with a soft, unsteady light :
▪ They looked out across the shimmering water of the lagoon.
▪ Gabby pulled a shimmering gold evening dress out of a box and held it in front of her.
▷ glistening /ˈglɪs ə nɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
shining like something that is wet :
▪ His glistening bald head moved from side to side in time to the music.
▪ The harpoon sank into the whale’s glistening skin.
5. having a surface that shines like metal
▷ metallic /mɪˈtælɪk, məˈtælɪk/ [adjective usually before noun]
metallic paint shines like metal :
metallic blue/green/purple etc
▪ There was a metallic grey VW Golf parked outside cabin fifteen.
▷ silvery /ˈsɪlv ə ri/ [adjective]
shiny with a colour like silver :
▪ Small silvery fish darted through the shallow water of the creek.
▪ The hills looked silvery in the moonlight.
6. the shiny appearance of something
▷ shine /ʃaɪn/ [singular noun]
▪ They polished their boots to a dazzling shine.
▪ Linseed oil helps restore the shine to a dull surface.
▷ sheen /ʃiːn/ [singular noun]
a soft, smooth, shiny appearance :
▪ Her elegant dress had a silver sheen.
sheen of
▪ A light sheen of perspiration covered his upper lip.
▷ gloss /glɒsǁglɔːs, glɑːs/ [singular noun]
the shiny appearance of something that is of good quality or in good condition :
▪ The gel is guaranteed to add gloss even to the dullest hair.
▪ Stephanie did not look well. The gloss had gone from her blond hair and her skin was splotchy looking.
high gloss
a very shiny gloss
▪ The silverware had been polished to a high gloss.
▷ lustre British /luster American /ˈlʌstəʳ/ [uncountable noun] written
a soft, attractive, shiny appearance :
▪ Autumn had given the trees that extra golden lustre.
▪ The herb can be used as a hair rinse to add luster.
▪ Wax is sprayed on the apples to give them more luster.
7. not shiny
▷ dull /dʌl/ [adjective]
a colour or surface that is dull is not bright or shiny :
▪ Her hair was a dull, darkish brown.
▪ They chose a red clay pot decorated with patterns in dull white paint.
▷ matt also matte American /mæt/ [adjective only before noun]
matt surface/paint/finish etc
a matt surface is designed not to be shiny - use this about paint, skin, surfaces etc that you do not want to be shiny :
▪ Do you want matt paint or gloss paint?
▪ When you drop off the photos, be sure to request matte finish.
▷ tarnished /ˈtɑːʳnɪʃt/ [adjective]
no longer shiny - use this about bright metals such as silver :
▪ He wore a tarnished watch chain across his waistcoat.
▪ You shouldn’t let the silverware get so tarnished.