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

Verb

• actualize
• appear
• arise
• begin
• break
• commence
• engender
• form
• materialize
• originate
• set in
• spring
• start

Noun

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

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

Unsurprisingly, the wealthy men of the dawning Gilded Age did not like seeing their tax information in the pages of The New York Times. —Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025

In the book there’s a dawning sense of shock and dismay and then outrage. —Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Noun

Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram 817-390-7760 Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. —Mac Engel may 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025

As energetic young crowds descend on the sandy beaches dancing dusk until dawn, wellness-minded hippies retreat to the bohemian hamlets in the quieter parts of the island. —Monica Mendal, Vogue, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, probably back-formation from dawning daybreak, alteration of dawing, from Old English dagung, from dagian — see daw 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