sunrise

¹ American  

[suhn-rahyz] / ˈsʌnˌraɪz /

noun

1. the rise or ascent of the sun above the horizon in the morning.

2. the atmospheric and scenic phenomena accompanying this.

3. the time when half the sun has risen above the horizon.

4. the open or beginning stage of any period.

---

adjective

1. (of an industry, technology, etc.) new and growing; developing; emerging.

   high-technology sunrise industries.

Sunrise ² American  

[suhn-rahyz] / ˈsʌnˌraɪz /

noun

1. a city in SE Florida.

---

sunrise British  

/ ˈsʌnˌraɪz /

noun

1. the daily appearance of the sun above the horizon

2. the atmospheric phenomena accompanying this appearance

3. Also called (esp US): sunup.  the time at which the sun rises at a particular locality

4. (modifier) of or relating to sunrise industry

   sunrise technology

   sunrise sector

---

Etymology

Origin of sunrise

1300–50; Middle English, short for sunrising ( sun, rise, -ing ¹ )

Example Sentences

After weeks calling the agency only to get a recorded message, she woke before sunrise recently to wait in line at an Arizona Department of Economic Security office in south Phoenix.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

If you want precise timings for your location, you can easily check local sunrise and sunset times on the BBC Weather website or through the BBC Weather app.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Oh his ideal Sunday, Kenny Scharf would wake up before sunrise and get moving: swimming at Venice Beach, biking to his studio and hiking to one of the best views in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

On Thursday morning, traffic was already backed up on stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway before sunrise and the sidewalks along Wilshire Boulevard were no more devoid of pedestrians than is typical.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

We were going to watch the sunrise over the ocean, listen to the Boston Pops, drive up to Canada for a cup of coffee and turn around and drive home.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson