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

Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning. —Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026

Friday night temperatures, will bottom-out in the single digits and lower teens before sunrise on Saturday. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

The eclipse will begin at sunrise in the Atlantic Ocean; pass over Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho; cross the Indian Ocean; and finish as a low eclipse from southeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales, Australia. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Oil rigs just south of town extract crude for Chevron at sunrise on July 22, 2008 in Taft, California. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 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