dawn

1 of 2

verb

ˈdȯn 

ˈdän

dawned; dawning; dawns

intransitive verb

1

: to begin to grow light as the sun rises

waited for the day to dawn

2

: to begin to appear or develop

A new era is dawning.

3

: to begin to be perceived or understood

The truth finally dawned on us.

dawn

2 of 2

noun

1

: the first appearance of light in the morning followed by sunrise

danced till dawn

at the crack of dawn

Almost before the first faint sign of dawn appeared she arose again …

—Thomas Hardy

2

: beginning

the dawn of the space age

Synonyms of dawn

Verb

• start
• begin
• commence
• arise
• originate
• appear
• be
• emerge

Noun

• sunrise
• dawning
• day
• morning
• morn
• daybreak

Examples of dawn in a Sentence

Verb

They waited for the day to dawn.

A new age is dawning.

Noun

as dawn breaks over the city

Winter brings late dawns and early sunsets.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Other countries around the world are taking notes as Australia explores new territory that some say mirrors safety evolutions of years past – the dawning realization that maybe cars need safety belts, and that perhaps cigarettes should come with some kind of health warning. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025

Then realization dawned, and a smile, tentative at first, spread across his face. —Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025

Noun

As dawn arrived on Thursday, smoke and cinders continued to fall around the complex, and four aerial ladders remained in use after more than 15 hours of firefighting. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025

As a result, the army turned to more brutal methods, attacking tipi villages before dawn, with indiscriminate fire killing noncombatant women and children. —Patrick Springer, Twin Cities, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, probably back-formation from dawning daybreak, alteration of dawing, from Old English dagung, from dagian "to dawn" — more at daw entry 1

Noun

derivative of dawn entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dawn

• at the crack of dawn
• dawn chorus
• dawn horse
• dawn on
• dawn redwood
• from dawn to/until dusk
• pre-dawn

Rhymes for dawn

• aune
• bon
• bonne
• brawn
• chon
• con
• conn
• crohn
• drawn
• fawn
• gone
• hon

Kids Definition

dawn

1 of 2 verb

ˈdȯn 

ˈdän

1

: to begin to grow light as the sun rises

waited for the day to dawn

2

: to begin to appear or develop

a smile dawned on her face

3

: to begin to be understood

the solution dawned on him

dawn

2 of 2 noun

1

: the first appearance of light in the morning

2

: a first appearance : beginning

the dawn of a new age