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 of sunrise

• 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

Shortly after sunrise, Julie Bechtol approached an older man sitting curbside near a gas station in Tustin. —Claire Wang, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026

Team building began Friday at sunrise, when players gathered at the SDSU practice fields to begin nine weeks of winter workouts. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

Circling Earth every 90 minutes, the station is constantly moving through changing light and shadow, which is why the astronauts on board experience 15 or 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Because the station orbits Earth once every 90 minutes, the crew on board sees 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026

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