daybreak
gb/dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/ us/dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
B2
English
~ 7300
hajnal, pirkadat, kezdet
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
at daybreak
They set out for the summit at daybreak to avoid the heat.
Pirkadatkor indultak el a csúcsra, hogy elkerüljék a hőséget.
By daybreak, the storm had finally passed.
Pirkadatra a vihar végre elvonult.
We had been driving since daybreak and were exhausted.
The city streets are strangely quiet at daybreak.
Fishermen left the harbor before daybreak to reach deeper waters.
Learner examples
We started our trip at daybreak.
Hajnalban indultunk útnak.
It was cold and dark before daybreak.
Pirkadat előtt hideg volt és sötét.
The birds began to sing at daybreak.
By daybreak, the heavy rain stopped.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition and say *in daybreak* or *on daybreak*; the natural phrase is *at daybreak*. They may also confuse *daybreak* with *sunrise*: *daybreak* is when it first gets light, which can be slightly before the sun appears.
Meaning
time when first light appears
Collocations
at daybreak
|before daybreak
|by daybreak
|since daybreak
|until daybreak
|from daybreak to dusk
Synonyms
dawn (The most common word for this time; slightly broader and more neutral in style than 'daybreak'.)
|
sunrise (Focuses on the moment when the sun actually appears, while 'daybreak' is when it first becomes light.)
|
first light (Very close in meaning; a little more informal and descriptive.)
Antonyms
nightfall (Refers to the time when it becomes dark in the evening, the opposite of light beginning in the morning.)
Themes
time
|nature
|daily life
|weather
Definition
The time early in the morning when it first starts to get light, just before you can see the sun.
The time in the early morning when light first appears in the sky, just before the sun rises.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
the daybreak of [a period]
Historians often describe this period as the daybreak of modern democracy.
A történészek gyakran a modern demokrácia hajnalaként írják le ezt az időszakot.
At the daybreak of the internet age, few people imagined how much it would change daily life.
Az internetkor hajnalán kevesen képzelték el, mennyire megváltoztatja majd a mindennapi életet.
The discovery marked the daybreak of a new era in medical research.
Learner examples
Many writers call this time the daybreak of a new age.
Sok író egy új kor hajnalának nevezi ezt az időszakot.
The small project was the daybreak of her long career.
Ez a kis projekt jelentette hosszú pályafutásának kezdetét.
The book tells the story of the daybreak of the modern city.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this figurative sense in very ordinary situations, where *beginning* or *start* is more natural. This sense is typically used in literary or formal writing about history, big changes, or important periods, not about simple daily events.
Meaning
very beginning of a period
Collocations
the daybreak of a new era
|the daybreak of civilization
|the daybreak of the digital age
|the daybreak of her career
Synonyms
dawn (The usual figurative word for the beginning of a period; more frequent than *daybreak* in this sense.)
|
birth (Emphasizes the creation or start of something new, not the time of day image.)
|
start (Very general word for the beginning; lacks the poetic or historical flavor of *daybreak*.)
Antonyms
twilight (Often used figuratively for the last part of a period, the opposite of an early beginning.)
Themes
history
|metaphor
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The very early time of a new period, activity, or change.
The very beginning of a period of time, activity, or development, especially in history or in someone's life.
Grammar
Dictionary form
daybreak
IPA
GB/dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
US/dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
Syllables & stress
day - break (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (day)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: daybreak
- Plural: daybreak
Word family
Expressions
at daybreak
1/ˈæt dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
at the time of first light
At the time early in the morning when it first starts to get light.
Examples
- We plan to leave at daybreak to avoid traffic.
- The soldiers attacked at daybreak, when the fog was still thick.
- Farmers often begin work at daybreak in the summer.
before daybreak
1/bɪfˈɔɹ dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
earlier than first light
At a time in the night that is still very early, before it starts to get light.
Examples
- The bakery starts work before daybreak to have fresh bread ready.
- We arrived at the airport before daybreak and waited for the first flight.
- He slipped out of the house before daybreak so no one would see him leave.
by daybreak
1/bˈaɪ dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
no later than first light
Not later than the time when it first starts to get light in the morning.
Examples
- They hoped to reach the village by daybreak.
- The firefighters had the blaze under control by daybreak.
- You need to be home by daybreak, before your parents wake up.
since daybreak
1/sˈɪns dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
from first light until now
From daybreak until now or until another time you are talking about.
Examples
- We have been on the road since daybreak.
- The phones have not stopped ringing since daybreak.
- She has been working in the fields since daybreak.
until daybreak
1/ʌntˈɪl dˈeɪbɹˌeɪk/
fixed phrase
up to the time of first light
Continuing and not stopping before daybreak.
Examples
- They talked and played cards until daybreak.
- The guards stayed awake until daybreak, watching the camp.
- The music went on until daybreak, and no one seemed tired.