outshine

verb

out·​shine ˌau̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone ˌau̇t-ˈshōn 

 especially British  -ˈshän

or outshined; outshining

transitive verb

1

a

: to shine brighter than

b

: to excel in splendor or showiness

2

: outdo, surpass

outshone most of the other films in quality

—Kathleen Karr

intransitive verb

: to shine out

Synonyms

• beat
• better
• eclipse
• exceed
• excel
• outclass
• outdistance
• outdo
• outgun
• outmatch
• outstrip
• overtop
• surpass
• top
• tower (over)
• transcend

Examples of outshine in a Sentence

She outshines all the other actors in the film.

the trumpeter outshines all of his fellow band members

Recent Examples on the Web

However, because the moon far outshines Mars, the planet may be hard to spot when the two are closest together. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025

Micro-influencers—with their smaller, more targeted audiences—often outshine traditional influencers in engagement and conversion rates. —Jason (jiehui) Zeng, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

Seen with the naked eye, the Moon's brightness far outshined Mars, casting soft shadows on a cold winter evening in East Texas. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025

The benefits outshine those of any ab workout routine. —Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

outshine

verb

out·​shine (ˈ)au̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone -ˈshōn  ; outshining

1

: to shine brighter than

2

: excel, surpass