outshine

/aʊtˈʃaɪn/

//aʊtˈʃaɪn// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"outshine" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outshine” is uncommon English (frequency #52,539 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,539
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To shine brighter than something else

Corpus desk

Index EN-outshine · outshine · English

outshine · rank #52,539 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,539
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH paddocks

Nearest frequency peer: paddocks (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “outshine”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “outshine” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for outshine
PropertyValue
Headwordoutshine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/aʊtˈʃaɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#52,539
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “outshine” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).outshinefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “paddocks” (#52,540), “oryx” (#52,537), “palisade” (#52,541). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outshine” is #52,539. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outshine is uncommon English at frequency #52,539 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /aʊtˈʃaɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for outshine in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From out- + shine. The correct English form is outshine, spelled O-U-T-S-H-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shine brighter than something else
  2. 2
    To exceed something or someone else, especially in an obvious or flamboyant manner
  3. 3
    To shine forth, to give out light.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how outshine appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Four minutes later Walcott, who until then had been redundant as a lone striker owing to one-star service, was given his first decent pass of the game and duly took his chance to outshine the Senegalese, springing a poorly conceived offside trap to collect Lukas Podolski's ball and stroke a low 15-yard shot past Tim Krul and into the far corner.
  2. Bright, outshining beams.

Etymology

From out- + shine.

This word in other languages

deslumbrar(Español)dépasser(Français)überstrahlen(Deutsch)ofuscar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "outshine"?
"outshine" is spelled O-U-T-S-H-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /aʊtˈʃaɪn/.
What does "outshine" mean?
As a verb, "outshine" means: To shine brighter than something else
How do you pronounce "outshine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outshine" is /aʊtˈʃaɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "outshine"?
From out- + shine. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "outshine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

paddocks#52,540palisade#52,541oratorio#52,536Palmdale#52,542

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list