Past Tense of Shine | Explanation & Examples
Shine is a verb that means “give off a bright light” or “polish something.” The past tense can cause some confusion because it is shined or shone depending on the meaning, and it can vary between American and British English.
In general, in American English, when shine is a transitive verb (i.e., a verb that takes a direct object) the simple past tense and past participle are both shined (e.g., “He shined the silver candlesticks”). As an intransitive verb (i.e., a verb that has no direct object) the past tense and past participle are shone (e.g., “The moon shone bright that night”).
| Shine as a transitive verb | Shine as an intransitive verb |
|---|---|
| As the youngest child, Jeff shined everyone’s shoes each night.
Gail had excitedly shined her new flashlight in the darkness. |
The chrome on the classic Jaguar shone in the bright sunlight.
For a while her fame had shone before her popularity faded away. |
This is more of a general principle than a strict rule. You will often hear shined and shone used interchangeably in American English, but only “shined” is appropriate when used to mean “polish.”
Shined or shone?
When deciding whether to use shined or shone, you need to consider whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. And you also need to consider the difference between American and British English.
In American English, you can use shone or shined for all circumstances except when shine means “polish,” in which case shined is the only option. In British English, shone is the correct spelling except when it means “polish,” when shined is correct. This is true for the simple past and past participle (used for perfect tenses and the passive voice).
| Definition | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | The children had all shined their shoes that morning. | The children had all shined their shoes that morning. |
| Give off a bright light | The warning flare shone/shined through the fog. | The warning flare shone through the fog. |
| Naomi shined/shone the searchlight across the water. | Naomi shone the searchlight across the water. |
Frequently asked questions about the past tense of shine
- Is shined a word?
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Shined is the simple past and past participle of the verb shine. It is not always the correct form of the verb, however, as there is a difference between American English and British English usage.
In British English, the correct form of the verb depends on the meaning of shine being used. When shine means “give off light,” then the correct spelling is shone (e.g., “The car’s headlights shone through the trees”). When the meaning is “polish,” then shined is correct (e.g., “The soldiers had shined their boots to a mirror-like finish”).
In American English, shined can be used in both senses, but shone is also correct where it would be correct in British English (i.e., where the meaning isn’t “polish”).
You can use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to make sure your use of shined is correct.
- Is it shown or shone?
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Both shown and shone are past participles of verbs, but they are not synonyms. They are sometimes confused because of their similar spelling and sound.
Shown is the past participle of the verb show, meaning “demonstrate or illustrate something.” Shone is the past participle (and sometimes simple past) of the verb shine, meaning “emit light.”
The QuillBot Grammar Checker will tell you if you are using the correct word in your writing.
- What is a synonym for shone?
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There are plenty of synonyms and near-synonyms for shone, which is the past tense of shine, including:
- Gleamed
- Beamed
- Radiated
- Glowed
- Glared
- Dazzled
You can use the QuillBot Paraphraser to find the right way of expressing your meaning.
