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

• day
• dawn
• morning
• morn
• dawning
• daybreak
• daylight

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

Among the wares, there’s a swanky alarm clock that wakes you with light that mimics a sunrise, a cheetah-print AirPods case from Kate Spade, and a powerful portable charger that can charge two devices at once. —Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025

From sunrise to sunset, the Big Apple seems to stretch right into the apartment, with everything from the Empire State Building to the Upper East Side rooftops on show. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2025

Ninety minutes before sunrise, look for the Big Dipper, which will appear to be standing upright on its handle in the northeast sky. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025

Aerial view by drone of Tokyo Cityscape with Tokyo Sky Tree visible in Tokyo city, Japan on sunrise. —Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sunrise

• tequila sunrise

Rhymes for sunrise

• advise
• applies
• apprise
• arise
• assize
• baptize
• belies
• bitwise
• capsize
• chastise
• chordwise
• clockwise

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