Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to shine through

to shine through

21 4.2
A quality that is easy to see despite problems
  • phrasal verb
  • /ʃaɪn θru/
translation icon : notarse
  • Despite the challenges, his dedication to the project shines through in every aspect of his work.
  • your work shines through

They're overcast by the false values and can shine through only dimly.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • But, more than that, he has a passion for RA that shines through his presentations, work, and writing.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Others want their creativity and originality to shine through from the outset.

    Academic text (1997)

  • May your light shine through their lives.

    This Is Our Time (2013)

  • The judge will ask questions, you will know the answers, and your hard work will shine through.

    Academic text (2002)

  • But letting your passion for the product and how it's helped you improve your life shine through with the video.

  • I've always felt that music is an art form in which each personality can shine through.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Whiskey Jack is a man of incredible integrity, and his integrity shines through in this alliance.

  • And I think that really is where my love and my passion for health really shines through my clinic because as you say, I focus on men's health.

  • Their tail wiggles, face licks, and loving personalities still shine through the abuse they have suffered.

    Blog text (9)

  • Despite his pretense of disinterest, Thomas's advocacy for the Catholic Church shined through.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

to shine
vsto shine through
428 1.0

To send out or reflect light and look bright

is a quality that shows despite difficulties or obscuring factors
to stand out
vsto shine through
244 3.2

To be easy to notice because you are different or better

is visible even when difficulties or obscuring factors hide it

Antonyms

to hide
∞ 1.0

To keep something so others cannot see or understand it

to mask
111 3.7

To cover part of something to hide or protect it

How Evident

to stand out
244 3.2
to shine through
21 4.2

Surface Forms

shine through infinitive
shining through present participle
shines through third person singular
shone through past
shone through past participle

Morphology

shine + through

The meaning 'to be clearly visible or evident' is directly derivable from combining 'shine' (to emit light or stand out) with 'through' (penetrating or across), creating the straightforward image of a quality 'shining through' obstacles. This metaphorical but transparent composition is common across languages and follows regular particle-verb patterns, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The verb shine through comes from the simple image of light trying to shine through a thin curtain or a dark cloud, where the light still shows even when something is hiding it. So when a quality or feeling 'shines through', it becomes 'visible' or clear even with problems in the way.