sun

\ ˈsən

Definition of sun

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a often capitalized : the luminous celestial body around which the earth and other planets revolve, from which they receive heat and light, which is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, and which has a mean distance from earth of about 93,000,000 miles (150,000,000 kilometers), a linear diameter of 864,000 miles (1,390,000 kilometers), and a mass 332,000 times greater than earth

b : a celestial body like the sun : star

2 : the heat or light radiated from the sun played in the sun all day

3 : one resembling the sun (as in warmth or brilliance)

4 : the rising or setting of the sun from sun to sun

5 : glory, splendor

in the sun

: in the public eye

under the sun

: in the world : on earth

sun

verb

sunned; sunning

Definition of sun (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

: to expose to or as if to the rays of the sun

intransitive verb

: to sun oneself

Sun

abbreviation

Definition of Sun (Entry 3 of 3)

Sunday

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sun

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Examples of sun in a Sentence

Noun The rain has stopped and the sun is shining. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. the warmth of the sun's rays They dream of traveling to distant suns. Try to keep out of the sun. The cat lay basking in the sun. Verb People sunned themselves on the hillside.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The course sparkled on television, especially when the sun made fleeting appearances. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "PGA Championship lessons: Collin Morikawa joins wide-open tussle for golf supremacy," 10 Aug. 2020 The sun breaks through the treeline and dapples the forest floor. — Amos Barshad, Longreads, "Remembering the Things That Remain," 10 Aug. 2020 These eye-catching meteors are linked to the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Perseid meteor shower 2020: How and when to watch," 10 Aug. 2020 Public Health England issued a heat-health warning and advised people sheltering indoors to close curtains on windows facing the sun. — USA TODAY, "European heatwave sends thousands flocking to beaches despite social-distancing warnings," 8 Aug. 2020 Was there any stress on the plant, lack of water, too much sun? — oregonlive, "Why is this ground cherry not thriving? Ask an expert," 8 Aug. 2020 This air pollution from power plants normally forms aerosols in the atmosphere, which bounces some of the sun's energy back into space. — Matt Simon, Wired, "Yes, Emissions Have Fallen. That Won't Fix Climate Change," 7 Aug. 2020 On the evening of June 4, hundreds of protesters slowly made their way down North Avenue as the sun began to set. — Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'Protesting is an art form:' Group in Wauwatosa gets educated on the rights they have as protesters," 7 Aug. 2020 Strangers and customers scurried to the shop to stand guard until the sun rose again. — Kelly Smith, Star Tribune, "Nonprofit auto shop looks to expand to meet growing need after unrest in Minneapolis," 7 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Litters of young rabbits came out from their forms to sun themselves upon hillocks, the hot beams blazing through the delicate tissue of each thin-fleshed ear, and firing it to a blood-red transparency in which the veins could be seen. — Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, "The Novels of Tension Between Freedom and Disaster," 10 July 2020 On a recent weekday afternoon a couple dozen people had come out to swim and sun on the park’s beaches. — al, "Mobile County has big plans for its new waterfront park," 3 July 2020 Working from sun up to sun down—and sometimes through the night—to make ends meet. — Toni Carey, SELF, "How I Learned to Stop Glorifying the Hustle and Start Living Intentionally," 22 Oct. 2019 Aside from ordering new swimsuits for sunning in our windowsills or stocking up on cocktail kits for fire-escape happy hours, those of us with access to an outdoor space (or any ol' patch of grass, really) will be investing in the inflatable pool. — Elizabeth Buxton, refinery29.com, "The Best Inflatable Pools For Whatever Outdoor Space You’re Workin’ With," 11 May 2020 Nutria often use these as feeding, grooming, loafing, and sunning platforms. — Gerry Bethge, Outdoor Life, "Hunting Nutria in the Louisiana Bayou," 21 Apr. 2020 The Mara River runs through the reserve, providing a place for hippos to splash and crocodiles to sun themselves. — Peter Terzian, Travel + Leisure, "In Kenya, an Epic Photographic Safari Through Some of Africa's Most Dramatic Landscapes," 18 Apr. 2020 Booking a cruise is one of your most important travel decisions of the year—here are our best tips In partnership with Paul Gauguin Cruises Ah, sunning yourself on a ship deck with the view of the wide-open seas, a coconut in your hand. — Sunset Magazine, "Expert Tips for Booking a Cruise," 22 Jan. 2018 Not much of a homebody, he is well known on the city’s north side for sunning himself on the deck of benches along the Monon Trail. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "After mysterious disappearance, owner says Pirate Cat found but very ill: 'It's as bad as it can be'," 5 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sun.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.