adj
shiny
SHEYE-nee
adj
1
Reflecting light off a smooth surface.
"She polished the car until it was shiny."
"His new shoes looked shiny under the shop lights."
2
Excellent or impressive, especially something new and eye-catching.
"Everyone wanted to try out the shiny new gadget."
noun
1
A small glittering object or collectible prized for its appeal.
"The magpie collector kept every shiny it could find."
How to Use Shiny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishReflecting or giving off light — or, informally, something impressive and new.
Memory tip
Think of "shiny" as the everyday word for anything glossy, polished, or catching the light.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
shiny new
shiny surface
bright and shiny
Word Forms
shinier comparative, more shiny comparative, shinies plural, shinies plural, shiniest superlative, most shiny superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “shiny”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She polished the car until it was _____.
Etymology
From shine plus the adjective-forming suffix -y, going back through Old English to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to shine."