To shine brighter than something else; to be more impressive or successful than someone else.
From English 'out-' (meaning to exceed or surpass) combined with 'shine.' The metaphorical sense of 'exceeding in excellence' developed naturally from the literal brightness comparison.
The 'out-' prefix is remarkably productive in English—you can 'out-' almost any verb and be understood: outrun, outjump, outlast, outthink. It's why English feels so flexible, and why we can easily describe competitive dominance through physical metaphors.
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