sunrise

noun

sun·​rise ˈsən-ˌrīz 

1

: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon

also : the accompanying atmospheric effects

2

: the time when the upper limb of the sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth

Synonyms

• aurora
• cockcrow
• dawn
• dawning
• day
• daybreak
• daylight
• light
• morn
• morning
• sun
• sunup

Examples of sunrise in a Sentence

We were up before sunrise.

We worked from sunrise to sunset.

We watched the sunrise from the beach.

the pink light of sunrise

Recent Examples on the Web

For me, the Caribbean is the cluck of a rooster during sunrise, a coconut from a roadside truck to quell the afternoon heat. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024

Its shades of pink, cream plaster and bronze shift in the ever-changing light L.A. is famous for, from sunrise to the golden hour. —Sage Jessica Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024

While hundreds of thousands of people hit shopping malls before sunrise on the day after Thanksgiving for one-of-a-kind deals a generation ago, nowadays, Forbes contributor Andrea Wasserman writes, there’s no such widespread event. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset and is open to dogs. —Alexandra Hardle, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sunrise

• tequila sunrise

Kids Definition

sunrise

noun

sun·​rise ˈsən-ˌrīz 

1

: the apparent rising of the sun above the horizon

also : the accompanying atmospheric effects (as color)

2

: the time at which the sun rises

Geographical Definition

Sunrise

geographical name

Sun·​rise ˈsən-ˌrīz 

city in southeastern Florida west of Fort Lauderdale population 84,439