Shone is the past tense of the verb shine. When something shone, it gave off light or reflected light brightly. The sun shone through your bedroom window this morning. The flashlight shone on the path ahead as you walked through the dark woods. A student's eyes might have shone with excitement when she finally solved a difficult puzzle.

The word can describe actual light, like stars that shone in the night sky, or it can describe excellence and talent. When someone shone in the school play, they performed so well that everyone noticed. An athlete who shone during the championship game played with exceptional skill that made them stand out.

Some people use “shined” instead, especially when talking about polishing something (like “I shined my shoes”), but shone is the form you'll most often see in books and careful writing, particularly when describing light or someone doing something remarkably well.