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

• 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

The surrounding views of Verrado and the desert are genuinely stunning, especially at sunrise. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Wake up watching the sunrise beam in from your floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows or take an afternoon dip in the picture-worthy infinity pool. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2025

Caleb, who took a sunrise picture most mornings of his life, had no way to document the day. —Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Best seen an hour before sunrise all month, a rare five-planet parade sees Venus blazing low in the east, followed by brilliant Jupiter and Saturn, which are also visible to the naked eye. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025

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