sunrise
gb/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/ us/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/
A2
English
~ 8200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
quantity
1
time when the sun first appears
The time in the morning when you first see the sun come up.
Usage pattern:
at [sunrise]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "sunrise" with "sunset". Remember that "sunrise" is in the morning and "sunset" is in the evening. Some also spell it as two words (*sun rise*), but the correct spelling for the noun is one word: "sunrise".
Synonyms
dawn (Often means the first light before the sun is visible; can also be used more generally or figuratively.)
|
daybreak (Very close in meaning, slightly more literary; focuses on the time when day begins.)
|
sunup (Mainly American and informal; same basic meaning as sunrise.)
Antonyms
sunset (Refers to the time of day when the sun disappears below the horizon, the opposite time from sunrise.)
|
nightfall (The time when it becomes dark in the evening, contrasting with morning light at sunrise.)
Collocations
at sunrise
|before sunrise
|just after sunrise
|from sunrise to sunset
|sunrise and sunset
Themes
time
|daily life
|nature
Examples
- The hikers started their climb at sunrise to avoid the heat.
- In summer, sunrise is much earlier than in winter.
- We have to leave before sunrise if we want to catch the first train.
- By sunrise, the storm had already passed.
- The farm is busiest between sunrise and noon.
Learner examples
- The shop opens at sunrise.
- Birds start to sing around sunrise.
- We woke up at sunrise and made coffee.
- It is still dark before sunrise in winter.
- They work from sunrise to sunset on the farm.
unknown
B1
event
2
event of the sun appearing
The event when the sun comes up in the morning and you can see it appear.
Usage pattern:
watch [the sunrise]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "see the sunrise" when they actually mean the time, as in "The bus leaves see the sunrise." In this case they should say "The bus leaves at sunrise." Use "watch/see the sunrise" when you are looking at the event, not talking about the time.
Synonyms
dawn (Can refer to the whole early-morning period, not only the visible sun appearing.)
|
daybreak (Focuses on the beginning of daylight rather than the visible movement of the sun.)
Antonyms
sunset (The event of the sun disappearing below the horizon in the evening, the reverse of sunrise.)
Collocations
watch the sunrise
|see the sunrise
|catch the sunrise
|sunrise over the mountains
|sunrise over the ocean
Themes
nature
|time
|travel
|weather
Examples
- They sat on the beach and watched the sunrise together.
- The photographer woke up early to capture the sunrise over the lake.
- From the plane window, the sunrise looked like a line of fire on the horizon.
- The temple faces east so visitors can see the sunrise through its main gate.
- We reached the summit just in time for sunrise.
Learner examples
- We went to the hill to watch the sunrise.
- The sunrise over the sea was very beautiful.
- I want to take a photo of the sunrise tomorrow.
- At the camp, we all got up to see the sunrise.
- Clouds hid the sunrise this morning.
Noun
B1
entity
3
colors of the sky at sunrise
The way the sky looks, with special colors, when the sun comes up in the morning.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] sunrise
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the sky has a sunrise"* when they mean the sky is showing sunrise colors. It is more natural to say "The sunrise was beautiful" or "The sky at sunrise was beautiful."
Synonyms
dawn sky (Focuses more on the sky itself, not the sun; slightly more descriptive and less common as a fixed phrase.)
Antonyms
sunset (Often used for the colorful sky in the evening; contrasts with the morning colors of sunrise.)
Collocations
beautiful sunrise
|spectacular sunrise
|red sunrise
|golden sunrise
|fiery sunrise
|painted sunrise
Themes
nature
|weather
|art
Examples
- The sunrise was a mix of pink and orange clouds.
- She painted a sunrise over a calm blue sea.
- This viewpoint is famous for its dramatic sunrise.
- After the storm, the sunrise was unusually clear and bright.
- We stopped the car to photograph the red sunrise behind the city skyline.
Learner examples
- The sunrise was very red today.
- We saw a beautiful sunrise from our hotel.
- He took many photos of the sunrise.
- I like to sit on the balcony and watch the sunrise.
- The sunrise made the clouds look gold.
Noun
literary
C1
event
4
start of a new positive period
A poetic way to say the beginning of a new and hopeful time.
Usage pattern:
the sunrise of [a period]
Common mistake:
Learners more often know the figurative use of "dawn" ("the dawn of a new era") and may not realize that "sunrise" can be used in a similar but more poetic way. This usage is not common in everyday conversation and is best kept for formal or literary writing.
Synonyms
dawn (Very common in this figurative sense, e.g. "the dawn of a new era"; slightly more standard than "sunrise" here.)
|
beginning (Neutral, lacks the positive or poetic feel that "sunrise" suggests.)
Antonyms
sunset (In figurative use, suggests the end or decline of a period, the opposite of a hopeful start.)
|
end (Neutral opposite of "beginning", without the imagery of light or hope.)
Collocations
the sunrise of a new era
|the sunrise of democracy
|the sunrise of a new age
|the sunrise of modern technology
Themes
metaphor
|society
|history
|time
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many historians see this election as the sunrise of a new political era.
- For her, moving to the city marked the sunrise of an independent life.
- The internet was the sunrise of the digital communication age.
- The agreement signaled the sunrise of closer cooperation between the two countries.
Learner examples
- Some people call this change the sunrise of a new age.
- For the company, this project was the sunrise of its success.
- The new law may be the sunrise of real reform.
- His first book was the sunrise of his career.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sunrise
IPA
GB/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/
US/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
sun - rise (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sun)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sunrise
- Plural: sunrise, sunrises
Word family
Expressions
at sunrise
1/ˈæt sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/
fixed phrase
at the time of sunrise
At the time in the morning when the sun first comes up.
Examples
- The fishermen leave the harbor at sunrise.
- Breakfast is served at sunrise during the retreat.
- We plan to reach the viewpoint at sunrise for the best photos.
before sunrise
1/bɪfˈɔɹ sˈʌnɹˌaɪz/
fixed phrase
earlier than sunrise time
Earlier than the time when the sun comes up.
Examples
- We left the house before sunrise to avoid traffic.
- The city is very quiet before sunrise.
- He finishes his writing before sunrise every day.
sunrise service
1/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
religious service at sunrise
A church or religious meeting that starts at or near sunrise, especially on special days like Easter.
Examples
- The church holds an Easter sunrise service on the hill outside town.
- We woke up very early to attend the sunrise service.
- Hundreds of people gathered on the beach for the sunrise service.
from sunrise to sunset
1/fɹˈʌm sˈʌnɹˌaɪz tə sˈʌnsˌɛt/
fixed phrase
for the whole daylight period
From early morning when the sun comes up until evening when the sun goes down.
Examples
- During the festival, music plays from sunrise to sunset.
- During harvest season, they work from sunrise to sunset.
- Farmers used to work from sunrise to sunset in the fields.
- The park is open from sunrise to sunset.
- They walked through the desert from sunrise to sunset to avoid the cold nights.
- We spent from sunrise to sunset exploring the city.
sunrise industry
1/sˈʌnɹˌaɪz ˈɪndəstɹi/
fixed phrase
new and fast-growing industry
A new type of business activity that is growing quickly and is seen as having a good future.
Examples
- Renewable energy is considered a sunrise industry.
- Renewable energy is often described as a sunrise industry.
- Several tech startups are part of this sunrise industry.
- The government wants to support sunrise industries with tax breaks.
- Technology start-ups are part of a global sunrise industry.