dawn

[ dawn ]

/ dɔn /

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See synonyms for dawn on Thesaurus.com

noun

the first appearance of daylight in the morning: Dawn broke over the valley.

the beginning or rise of anything; advent: the dawn of civilization.

verb (used without object)

to begin to grow light in the morning: The day dawned with a cloudless sky.

to begin to open or develop.

to begin to be perceived (usually followed by on): The idea dawned on him.

OTHER WORDS FOR dawn

1 daybreak, sunrise.

5 appear, occur, break.

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OPPOSITES FOR dawn

1 sunset.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of dawn

before 1150; Middle English dawen (v.), Old English dagian, derivative of dægday; akin to Old Norse daga,Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dagen,Old High German tagēn

OTHER WORDS FROM dawn

dawnlike, adjectiveun·dawned, adjective

Other definitions for dawn (2 of 2)

Dawn

[ dawn ]

/ dɔn /

noun

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dawn in a sentence

When Tien Tzuo joined Salesforce in 1999 as the then startup’s 11th employee, he witnessed “the dawn of SaaS,” or software as a service.
How to succeed in the subscriptions business|rhhackettfortune|November 18, 2020|Fortune
Lows will eventually dip to the low 60s or near 60 in the predawn hours, but readings could begin to fall off more significantly toward dawn.
PM Update: Flash flood watch tonight through Thursday morning, with periods of heavy rain likely|Ian Livingston|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
We should tend to stay dry, but there is a slight chance of showers by dawn.
PM Update: Record highs in the upper 70s today are replaced by rainy weather on Wednesday|Ian Livingston|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
A couple patches of light fog and clouds near dawn can’t be ruled out.
D.C.-area forecast: Comfortable warmth continues for days under generally sunny skies|A. Camden Walker|November 6, 2020|Washington Post

In France, nuclear waste has been reprocessed since the dawn of the industry in the 1940s.
Finding homes for the waste that will (probably) outlive humanity|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It then dawned on Sanger, he claimed, that a wiki could be used to help solve the problems he was having with Nupedia.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then it dawned on him—he could surveil himself for the authorities.
Art in the Age of National Security|Terry Greene Sterling|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An orange blossom of flame exploded on our screens as a new reality dawned.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11|John Avlon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It dawned on Davis (not her real name) that her boyfriend may be cheating.
Dissed By Her Doctor for Wanting HIV Protection|Heather Boerner|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As dawned crept over the eastern hills, Taita Morales and the other shamans called us inside.
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans|Chris Allbritton|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Jones swung round a large iron key he held in his hand, and light dawned upon him.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
The fourth year dawned, and Mr Brammel suddenly appeared amongst his friends.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Surely, since he had been patient so long without hope, he could be still more patient now that hope had dawned!
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
The financial burden of the war, as the full measure of it dawned upon our minds, seemed to betoken a universal bankruptcy.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The day dawned with a steady drizzle of rain, and, after a poor attempt at breakfast, I scoured the neighbourhood for a taxi.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dawn

dawn

/ (dɔːn) /

noun

daybreak; sunriseRelated adjective: auroral

the sky when light first appears in the morning

the beginning of something

verb (intr)

to begin to grow light after the night

to begin to develop, appear, or expand

(usually foll by on or upon) to begin to become apparent (to)

Derived forms of dawn

dawnlike, adjective

Word Origin for dawn

Old English dagian to dawn; see day

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with dawn

dawn

In addition to the idiom beginning with dawn

dawn on

also see:

crack of dawn
light dawned

dawn

OTHER WORDS FOR dawn

OPPOSITES FOR dawn

Origin of dawn

OTHER WORDS FROM dawn

Other definitions for dawn (2 of 2)

Words related to dawn

How to use dawn in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dawn

Derived forms of dawn

Word Origin for dawn

Other Idioms and Phrases with dawn