sheen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To emphasize the ghoulishness, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shoots the president and his advisors in unflattering low angles with a formaldehyde sheen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
They are of a piece with the clothing being sold by OpenAI and other tech firms, which has given the companies the sheen of being lifestyle brands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Whipped up and given a sheen of analytic legitimacy by the Maven, military officials did not do their due diligence in the midst of hundreds of similar, simultaneous strikes.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Greenpeace said the oil sheen had expanded from up to 20 square kilometres on July 24 to an estimated 600 on August 4, according to satellite imagery it reviewed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
An old rag, lukewarm water, and elbow grease soon brought a sheen to the table.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
![]()
The volume of oil spilled has not been determined, but activists have published images of polluted farmland, water surfaces blighted by oil sheens and dead fish mired in sticky crude.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
In astronomy, iconic images, like the “pillars of creation” or a black hole’s event horizon, are beautiful and awe-inspiring, but what we see is essentially made of numbers rather than imperceptibly sheer sheens of paint.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 16, 2022
Mundwiller says baseboards, crown molding and entry doors are suited to satin or higher sheens, because the contrast between a wall and a baseboard, for example, can create an appealing look.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 23, 2022
Occasional sheens along the creek likely will be seen over the next several weeks to months, officials said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2022
It was crow colored—black, but with petrol sheens of green and purple and deep blue—but the underside of its wings was red.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
![]()
In the salons I went to as a child, I remember men peddling bootlegged movies and fashions to the clients with their hair wrapped or freshly sheened as they dug for cash in their purses.
From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2023
Sparkling catsuits sheened like the shiny slug trails left in the forest at dawn.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2021
And that would force us to confront our bodies as they really are; not the buffed, sheened perfection of youth, but the bumps, wrinkles and dry patches of middle age.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 20, 2019
Def Leppard sold tons of records, back when musicians used to do that, with a heavy metal sound sheened to pop perfection on songs like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2019
The train rolled past scrap and recycling yards, men and women’s backs sheened mirror bright with sweat as they stacked hand carts with purchased scrap and moved it to weighing platforms for sale.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
![]()
The sweat sheening Kendrick’s forehead minutes into the show.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2022
Crews working to replace steep plate walls had noticed light sheening, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2022
There was minimal sheening seen near the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, said Bressler, and the Coast Guard and DEC will monitor it over the weekend.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 14, 2015
Added Mr. Stone: “We were just sheening our heads off.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2011
She is next to him, sitting back on her heels, hands folded in her lap, her dark kimono sheening in the half light, and gazing at him the way she did this afternoon, steadily, intently.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
![]()
Vocabulary lists containing sheen
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The City of Ember
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Skellig
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!