Synonyms of dawning

dawning 1 of 2

noun

as in dawn

the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance

the cold, gray dawning of a wintry day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dawn
• sunrise
• day
• morn
• morning
• light
• daybreak
• daylight
• sun
• aurora
• sunup
• cockcrow
• daytime
• forenoon

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sunset
• nightfall
• night
• sundown
• darkness
• midnight
• dark
• afternoon
• nighttime
• evening
• midday
• twilight
• dusk
• eventide
• gloaming

dawning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dawn

as in beginning

to come into existence

a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginning
• starting
• arising
• commencing
• originating
• being
• appearing
• emerging
• forming
• springing
• arriving
• existing
• living
• breaking
• actualizing
• engendering
• lasting
• materializing
• setting in
• breathing
• continuing
• coming on
• shaping (up)
• enduring
• surviving
• subsisting
• persisting
• coalescing
• cohering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ending
• stopping
• ceasing
• finishing
• concluding
• halting
• vanishing
• terminating
• disappearing
• discontinuing
• dying
• evaporating
• quitting
• dissolving
• departing
• expiring
• desisting
• perishing
• passing away

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dawning

Noun

The quiet moments, the grief, the slow dawning of realization that her husband had written this piece as a way of dealing with his grief and her anger. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026

Ever enterprising, Toha does eventually make her way back to the party, but there, the ultimate dawning of her place outside of Nelly’s circle is heartbreaking. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026

His addition also heralded the dawning of an era in which LACMA actively sought to strengthen its connections with the entertainment world. — Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

From the origins of the Yakuza, the dawning of chemical warfare, and FDR’s spy shops, the novel treks across World War II to the dawn of the Cold War. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

The dawning of light in this actor’s eyes breathes life into the old tale. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

On social media, some people even suggested this was the dawning of a new populist coalition of left and right. — Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025

As the sun rises behind the ELT, the image stands for the dawning of a new era in astronomical discovery. — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025

This is the dawning of the age of school choice. — Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025

Verb

Léa Seydoux gives a very committed, unaffected performance as Lucy, an experimental pianist who must deal with the dawning knowledge that her beloved husband Philip (Laurence Rupp) has a second life online as a pedophile pornographer. — Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 May 2026

But the young nation was dawning a new age. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

Three races in, there’ve been unforeseen winners, unpredicted changes to the schedule and the unanticipated reality of regulation changes dawning. — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

This is the familiar stage of rhetorical climbdown, indicating dawning awareness that a problem is more complicated than the president initially thought. — S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026

As the contours of the trade deadline marketplace formed in a more robust fashion on Wednesday, for example, several dawning realities became apparent. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

But the slightly hectic pace created a palpable feeling of dawning revelation. — Richard Godwin, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026

Not coincidentally Miami won its last playoff game — its last to this day — in the 2000 season just as New England’s rise was dawning. — Greg Cote january 26, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2026

Season 1 had an ideal structure in the trio of obstacles engineered by Alexandre, dovetailing with Camille and Issei’s dawning acceptance of each other as allies instead of enemies. — Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026