Outshines

Outshines is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb outshine. The word can denote literal brightness—someone or something that shines more brightly than others—but it is more commonly used in a figurative sense to indicate superiority in performance, merit, or visibility. For example, a new model may outshine its predecessor, or a performer may outshine rivals on stage.

Grammar and forms: Outshine is a transitive verb. It typically takes a direct object, as in “She outshines her competitors.” The present participle is outshining. The simple past tense is outshone (British English) or outshined (American English), with the past participle also typically appearing as outshone or outshined, and the third-person singular present as outshines.

Usage notes: Outshine conveys a marked contrast or comparison, often implying a notable edge or superiority. It can describe literal brightness but is more frequently used metaphorically to describe excellence, talent, or prominence in a given field. In some contexts, it carries a favorable tone, while in others it can imply a competitive or evaluative frame.

Common collocations include outshines rivals, outshines expectations, outshines the competition, and outshines previous work. Related terms include eclipse, surpass, outdo, and overshadow, which share thematic overlap but differ in nuance and usage.

Examples: “Her performance outshines the rest of the cast.” “The new device outshines the old model in both speed and energy efficiency.” “The star outshines the other performers on opening night.”