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

Best seen an hour before sunrise, a rare five-planet parade stretches across the sky. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Bird’s-eye view of central Tokyo including Tokyo Tower at sunrise hours. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025

A couple stands under an umbrella on Miami Beach at sunrise in Miami, Florida, on April 9. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

My original plan had been to follow Adama’s team for three hours, then withdraw and get to safety before sunrise. —Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 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