sunfish

1 of 2

noun

sun·​fish ˈsən-ˌfish 

1

: ocean sunfish

2

: any of numerous North American freshwater bony fishes (family Centrarchidae, especially genus Lepomis) usually with a deep compressed body and metallic luster

Sunfish

2 of 2

trademark

—used for a small light sailboat that has one sail

Examples of sunfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The 100-acre lake has bass, catfish, crappie and sunfish for visitors to enjoy fishing. — Zuri Primos july 26, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026

Given the context, the ramming behavior could be a more efficient method to eat sunfish than meticulously pulling it apart. — Joseph Kim, NPR, 24 July 2026

Both incidents demonstrated teamwork; one orca held a sharptail sunfish, scientifically named Masturus lanceolatus, by its tail, while another orca swam toward the fish at high speed. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

One individual stabilized the sunfish while another delivered the high-speed impact, which suggests remarkable cooperation and precision. — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sunfish

• green sunfish
• ocean sunfish

Rhymes for sunfish

• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish
• offish
• redfish

Kids Definition

sunfish

noun

sun·​fish ˈsən-ˌfish 

1

: a very large sea fish that is flattened from side to side and has long fins and a small mouth

2

: any of a family of North American freshwater fishes that are related to the perches, are often brightly colored, and usually have a body that is flattened from side to side