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Synonyms

sunny

American  
[suhn-ee] / ˈsʌn i /

adjective

  • sunnier,
    comparative
  • sunniest
    superlative
  1. abounding in sunshine.

    a sunny day.

  2. exposed to, lighted, or warmed by the direct rays of the sun.

    a sunny room.

  3. pertaining to or proceeding from the sun; solar.

  4. resembling the sun.

  5. cheery, cheerful, or joyous.

    a sunny disposition.


sunny British  
/ ˈsʌnɪ /

adjective

  1. full of or exposed to sunlight

  2. radiating good humour

  3. of or resembling the sun

"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 Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

Etymology

Origin of sunny

1250–1300 Middle English; see sun, -y 1

Explanation

Sunny means shining with bright sunlight, like a beautiful sunny Saturday at the beach. It can also mean cheerful, like your sunny, upbeat best friend. When the sun is shining, it's a sunny day, and when you're smiling and friendly, you're sunny too. Sunny has been used in this figurative way since the 16th century, and in the 1830s, sunny side came to mean "optimistic outlook." However, if you order your eggs sunny side up, it just means you'll get two fried eggs with bright yellow, runny yolks.

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Vocabulary lists containing sunny

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Other apps might even be inclined to deploy a sunny icon, because technically it is going to be warm in most of that area, and watery only in a different section.

From Slate Aug. 21, 2026

While the market has risen, its gains haven’t quite kept up with Wall Street’s increasingly sunny outlook for corporate earnings growth.

From MarketWatch Aug. 19, 2026

The researchers found evidence of new particle formation on more than 80% of sunny days, suggesting the phenomenon is common in this part of the Arctic.

From Science Daily Aug. 18, 2026

“The minute it’s bright and sunny, people just lose their minds,” said Harriet Stansell, 35, who enjoys cycling through London and seeing the crowded pub scenes.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 18, 2026

And as she swam into the sunny upper ocean, her battery began refilling with energy.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

It will then turn drier and sunnier for all parts over the weekend with some light winds.

From BBC Jun. 18, 2026

Before relocating to a quieter, sunnier place by the beach, I lived in and around New York City for nearly a decade.

From Salon Jun. 3, 2026

Representatives of the U.S. government also projected a sunnier outlook in public and in private.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 17, 2026

But these are all emergency constraints; the long-term trendlines are much sunnier.

From Slate Mar. 12, 2026

I thought it'd get sunnier once we crossed the bridge, but the weather’s overcast, a dull gray.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

The month of July was also the "sunniest month ever observed" in Britain, the Met Office said.

From Barron's Aug. 3, 2026

The UK had its warmest and sunniest year on record in 2025, according to the Met Office, with an average temperature of 10.09C.

From BBC Feb. 19, 2026

The school operates in Redding, she said, because it is one of the sunniest cities in the United States, allowing for more than 300 flying days per year.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 27, 2026

But solar-powered electricity rose by nearly a third on 2024 levels, helped by the UK's sunniest year on record and the expansion of solar panels around the country.

From BBC Jan. 2, 2026

Without saying a word to anyone, she prepared one of the largest, sunniest rooms in the house.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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