outshine

/ˌaʊtˈʃaɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌaʊtˈʃaɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌau̇t-ˈshīn/ (ame, mw)

outshine — verb

  • outshinepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • outshineshe / she / it
  • outshonepast simple
  • outshining-ing form

1. to perform so much better than another person or thing that everyone notices and

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to perform so much better than another person or thing that everyone notices and pays attention to you instead.

例句

At the science fair, Dewi's volcano project outshone every other display in the gym.

outshine + [competing item] in a public comparison setting

Tariq's quiet jazz solo somehow outshone the louder rock bands on the festival lineup.

subject is a person's work; object is rival performers/works

同義詞
  • surpass

    more formal; works for any comparison, not only attention-grabbing ones

  • eclipse

    stronger; suggests the rival is completely overshadowed and forgotten

  • upstage

    specifically about stealing attention in a shared spotlight, often unintentionally

  • outdo

    neutral; focuses on doing more or better, without the 'attracts more notice' nuance

反義詞
  • underperform

    do worse than expected, not necessarily compared to a specific rival

文法句型

outshine + [person/group/work]

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person, performance, or piece of work; object is a rival or peer being compared. Often used when someone unexpected steals attention from a more famous or favoured candidate.

常見錯誤

❌My new car outshines my old car in fuel use.
✅My new car uses less fuel than my old car.
💡outshine compares public impact or quality, not measurable specs.
❌She outshines in mathematics.
✅She excels at mathematics' or 'She outshines her classmates in mathematics.
💡outshine needs an object (someone or something it surpasses).

2. to give off more light than something else nearby, so that the other source look

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to give off more light than something else nearby, so that the other source looks dim or fades from view.

例句

On clear winter nights, Venus often outshines every star above the desert.

outshine + [other light source] in an astronomy context

The harbour searchlight outshone the small lanterns hanging along the wooden pier.

strong artificial light overpowering weaker ones

同義詞
  • outglow

    rare; same literal meaning but mostly poetic

  • outdazzle

    implies the other light becomes painful or invisible to look at

文法句型

outshine + [light source / heavenly body]

用法筆記

Literal optical sense. Much rarer than sense 1 and almost always appears in writing about astronomy, photography, or lighting. Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the subject and object are physical light sources.

常見錯誤

❌The white wall outshines the grey wall.
✅The white wall is brighter than the grey wall.
💡surfaces reflect light; only true light sources outshine each other.