sunny side
Americannoun
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the part upon which sunlight falls.
the sunny side of the house.
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a pleasant or hopeful aspect or part.
the sunny side of life.
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some age less than one specified.
You're still on the sunny side of thirty.
noun
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the cheerful aspect or point of view
look on the sunny side of things
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informal younger than (a specified age)
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The pleasant or cheerful aspect of something, as in Beth always sees the sunny side of events like graduations . This idiom alludes to the area on which sunlight falls. [First half of 1800s]
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on the sunny side of . At an age less than, younger than, as in He's still on the sunny side of forty . [Second half of 1800s]
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sunny-side up . Fried so that the yolk remains intact and uppermost, as in I ordered my eggs sunny-side up and you brought me scrambled eggs . This expression transfers the appearance of the sun to that of an egg yolk. [c. 1900]
Etymology
Origin of sunny side
First recorded in 1825–35
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.
With a holiday-shortened week and a heat wave upon much of the country, investors are primed to look on the sunny side.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Make sure you close the windows on the sunny side of your home, to keep out hot air.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2024
This sunny side facing Boston Common--these grand old mansions were built for Boston's rich and powerful families.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 2, 2023
His first team was 7-20, and not until going 13-12 last season were the Toros on the sunny side of .500.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2023
The windows on the sunny side of the street were shuttered.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
