sunrise
1 Americannoun
-
the rise or ascent of the sun above the horizon in the morning.
-
the atmospheric and scenic phenomena accompanying this.
-
the time when half the sun has risen above the horizon.
-
the open or beginning stage of any period.
adjective
noun
noun
-
the daily appearance of the sun above the horizon
-
the atmospheric phenomena accompanying this appearance
-
Also called (esp US): sunup. the time at which the sun rises at a particular locality
-
(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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The park will be open Wednesday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
Before sunrise I drive north to the country and Tornio.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
“I’ve noticed it makes me very low energy because my circadian rhythm relies on the sunrise to really wake up,” said Hannah M. Le, founder of Buckle Scrunchies, a hair-tie brand.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026
At sunrise, I had gotten up and tugged a comb through my hair, then my best to part it down the middle.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
![]()
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.