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to outshine

to outshine

15 4.8
Do better and get more attention than others
  • verb
  • /aʊtˈʃaɪn/
translation icon : eclipsar
  • But tonight, you outshone Tom Jones, lad!
  • outshine the Sun
  • outshines any other

The same circumstances never repeat themselves, so never outshine the master.

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Examples

  • Traditionally, immigrants in the earlier period outshone Canadian-born graduates in Canada.

    Academic text (1999)
  • I was sure of one thing: she outshone any of the female aristocrats.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Law One, never outshine the master.

  • I mean, I might outshine you, but... -

  • - You can outshine David.

  • Whether you like it or not, my photos will outshine yours any day of the week.

    Blog text (25)
  • There's gonna be a whole lineup of huge stars, but you're gonna outshine them all.

  • Maududi's intellectual stature and influence far outshone the political success of his party.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In Bandon, Oregon, for example, the Coquille River Lighthouse outshines nearby dramatic sea stacks and golf resorts as a community symbol.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The musician's latest album outshines all her previous work, attracting widespread acclaim.

Synonyms

to stand out
vsto outshine
244 3.2

To be easy to notice because you are different or better

adds being more impressive or attracting stronger attention, not only being different
to dominate
vsto outshine
213 3.8

To be the most important or noticeable part of something

emphasizes attracting personal attention and brighter presence rather than broad control
to surpass
vsto outshine
100 4.6

To be better than another person or thing

adds the idea of attracting more attention or seeming brighter than others
to overshadow
vsto outshine
48 5.9

To make someone or something seem less important compared with another

means being more impressive or successful rather than causing others to seem smaller
to outperform
vsto outshine
30 4.8

Do better than someone or something

leans more toward impressing or drawing attention rather than measurable results
to outdo
vsto outshine
22 3.8

Be better than someone at something

highlights being more noticeable or impressive, not just doing better
to upstage
vsto outshine
22 6.5

Make people pay more attention to you than to someone else

means being more impressive overall, not only stealing attention in performances
to outplay
vsto outshine
14 4.2

Do better than and beat an opponent in a game

covers being more impressive or noticeable beyond merely winning a game
to tower over
vsto outshine
14 4.8

Be much taller or more impressive so others seem small

relates more to impressiveness and attention but not only physical size or height
to one up
vsto outshine
  • Informal
11 6.7

To do or say something to seem better than someone

focuses on being more impressive or attention getting, not only gaining advantage
to outclass
vsto outshine
8 4.6

To be much better than someone or something

focuses more on attracting attention and general impressiveness than pure superiority
to outmatch
vsto outshine
8 6.4

Do better than someone in skill or performance

stresses impressive or attention getting effect rather than only performance advantage
to prevail over
vsto outshine
8 5.8

To win against someone or something that tries to stop you

focuses on impressiveness and noticeability rather than solely power or influence
to outstrip
vsto outshine
7 6.8

To become faster, better, or larger than another

focuses on being more impressive or attention grabbing rather than speed or growth
to outcompete
vsto outshine
2 6.1

To do better than someone or something and win

adds sense of attracting attention and seeming brighter beyond pure winning
to get one up on
vsto outshine
  • Informal
1 6.1

To have an advantage over someone in competition

stresses being more noticeable and impressive rather than just achieving advantage
to outdazzle
vsto outshine
7.5

To impress people more than others

places emphasis on being overall more impressive or successful rather than just brightness
to leave competitors in the dust
vsto outshine
  • Informal
4.5

Do much better than other companies or teams

implies notable impressiveness but centers on attention and brightness rather than distance
to outrival
vsto outshine
7.9

Be better than someone or something in a competition

leans more on attracting notice or seeming brighter, not only rivalry wins
to outvie
vsto outshine
  • Archaic
9.9

To try to be better than someone in a contest or task

is about standing out and attracting attention rather than only competitive effort

Phrasal Verbs

To try to be better than each other to get attention

How Impressive

to eclipse
31 6.0
to overshadow
48 5.9
to outshine
15 4.8
to surpass
100 4.6

Surface Forms

outshine infinitive
outshining present participle
outshines third person singular
outshone past
outshone past participle

Morphology

outshine = shine (transparent) = out + shine

The verb is formed by productive prefixation out- + shine, meaning 'to shine more than' or 'surpass', which is directly inferable from the parts.

Etymology

The word outshine comes from the parts out- meaning 'more than', like in outrun, and shine meaning 'to give light' or 'be bright'. So to outshine someone is to be brighter or more impressive than them and to attract more attention.