1
a
often capitalized
: the luminous celestial body around which the earth and other planets revolve, from which they receive heat and light, which is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, and which has a mean distance from earth of about 93,000,000 miles (150,000,000 kilometers), a linear diameter of 864,000 miles (1,390,000 kilometers), and a mass 332,000 times greater than earth
b
: a celestial body like the sun : star
2
: the heat or light radiated from the sun
played in the sun all day
3
: one resembling the sun (as in warmth or brilliance)
4
: the rising or setting of the sun
from sun to sun
sunned; sunning
: to expose to or as if to the rays of the sun
: to sun oneself
Sunday
Synonyms
Examples of sun in a Sentence
Noun
The rain has stopped and the sun is shining.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
the warmth of the sun's rays
They dream of traveling to distant suns.
Try to keep out of the sun.
The cat lay basking in the sun.
Verb
People sunned themselves on the hillside.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
While the highly specialized cells inside our eyes don’t feel any pain, the rods and cones and photochemical reactors become inflamed and damaged when looking at the sun, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The pain of looking at the sun is not instant and the same goes for symptoms of damage.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Even just a quick glance at the sun can leave your eyes vulnerable to damage.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
When the moon finally flitted across the face of the sun, jubilant cheers rang out.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The direction of the sun in the sky was nearly the same direction from which the shadow of the moon arrived.
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Though South Florida only saw a partial solar eclipse, the museum’s visitors pulled up to catch a glimpse and learn through programs and the planetarium about the science behind the moon blocking Earth’s view of the sun.
—David Santiago, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
In cities experiencing a partial eclipse, a percentage of the sun will be obscured for more than two hours.
—Sarah Maddox, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
Some travelers consider lounging on the beach, sipping fruity cocktails with tiny umbrellas from sun up to sun down to be a perfectly fine vacation.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Pinnipeds found a way of living that works very well for them, swishing through the water and sunning their blubbery bodies on the beach.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
And this is me in shorts and a T-shirt hiding under a blanket sunning on a grassy knoll and my marmot is with me.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024
Mid-February wasn’t a bad time for a road trip: As Detroit got coated with snow, the DSO was sunning itself in West Palm Beach.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024
Parks officials recently installed faux alligators and islands to provide more places for birds and turtles to sun themselves, The Arizona Republic reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 14 Feb. 2024
And this is me in shorts and a T-shirt hiding under a blanket sunning on a grassy knoll.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024
And go ahead and sleep in: Your best opportunity to spot squirrels sunning on tree limbs is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2.
—T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
Noun
Changes in animal behavior during partial eclipses are unexpected
Arizona zoos did not anticipate significant animal reactions because, as with an eclipse in 2017, the state was not under the path of totality, and the moon covered only about 65% of the sun.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
While the highly specialized cells inside our eyes don’t feel any pain, the rods and cones and photochemical reactors become inflamed and damaged when looking at the sun, said Ronald Benner, an optometrist and president of the American Optometric Association.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The pain of looking at the sun is not instant and the same goes for symptoms of damage.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Even just a quick glance at the sun can leave your eyes vulnerable to damage.
—Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
When the moon finally flitted across the face of the sun, jubilant cheers rang out.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2024
The direction of the sun in the sky was nearly the same direction from which the shadow of the moon arrived.
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Though South Florida only saw a partial solar eclipse, the museum’s visitors pulled up to catch a glimpse and learn through programs and the planetarium about the science behind the moon blocking Earth’s view of the sun.
—David Santiago, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
In cities experiencing a partial eclipse, a percentage of the sun will be obscured for more than two hours.
—Sarah Maddox, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
For the first time ever, Miami-Dade County Public Schools will let students stay home for Eid, a festive day in which friends and family gather to enjoy meals together and exchange presents after a month of fasting from sun up to sun down.
—Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
Some travelers consider lounging on the beach, sipping fruity cocktails with tiny umbrellas from sun up to sun down to be a perfectly fine vacation.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Pinnipeds found a way of living that works very well for them, swishing through the water and sunning their blubbery bodies on the beach.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
And this is me in shorts and a T-shirt hiding under a blanket sunning on a grassy knoll and my marmot is with me.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024
Mid-February wasn’t a bad time for a road trip: As Detroit got coated with snow, the DSO was sunning itself in West Palm Beach.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024
Parks officials recently installed faux alligators and islands to provide more places for birds and turtles to sun themselves, The Arizona Republic reported.
—Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 14 Feb. 2024
And this is me in shorts and a T-shirt hiding under a blanket sunning on a grassy knoll.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2024
And go ahead and sleep in: Your best opportunity to spot squirrels sunning on tree limbs is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2.
—T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sun
Cite this Entry
“Sun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sun. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sun
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the star around which the planets revolve, from which they receive heat and light, and which has an average distance from the earth of about 93,000,000 miles (150,000,000 kilometers), a diameter of 864,000 miles (1,390,000 kilometers), and a mass 332,000 times greater than earth
b
: a star like the sun
2
: the heat or light given off by the sun : sunshine
3
: one resembling the sun usually in brilliance
4
: the rising or setting of the sun
from sun to sun
sun
2 of 2 verb
sunned; sunning
1
: to expose to or as if to the rays of the sun
2
: to sun oneself
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