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
Alistair Bell, The Enquirer, 22 Apr. 2024
Marcel Fontaine, a French diplomat who was released in May 1988 after three years of captivity, recalled the time cellmate Anderson thought freedom was near because he was allowed to see the sun and eat a hamburger.
—Alistair Bell, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
This utility also lends them as the perfect accessory to shield your face from the sun at the beach, festivals, and beyond.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
But then small-arms fire cascaded from the Myanmar military’s hillside position, striking just outside the house and flashing bright in the midday sun.
—Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse, according to the experts at NASA, an imperfect alignment of the sun, Earth and moon that results in the moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
In cooler climates, H. serrata can be grown in full sun in consistently moist soil.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
The sun is starting to dip, the weather is perfectly warm, and everything is just feeling so…soft.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 18 Apr. 2024
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
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
Marcel Fontaine, a French diplomat who was released in May 1988 after three years of captivity, recalled the time cell mate Anderson thought freedom was near because he was allowed to see the sun and eat a hamburger.
—Alistair Bell, The Enquirer, 22 Apr. 2024
Marcel Fontaine, a French diplomat who was released in May 1988 after three years of captivity, recalled the time cellmate Anderson thought freedom was near because he was allowed to see the sun and eat a hamburger.
—Alistair Bell, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
This utility also lends them as the perfect accessory to shield your face from the sun at the beach, festivals, and beyond.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
But then small-arms fire cascaded from the Myanmar military’s hillside position, striking just outside the house and flashing bright in the midday sun.
—Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
This full moon is also a partial lunar eclipse, according to the experts at NASA, an imperfect alignment of the sun, Earth and moon that results in the moon passing through only part of Earth's umbra.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
In cooler climates, H. serrata can be grown in full sun in consistently moist soil.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024
The sun is starting to dip, the weather is perfectly warm, and everything is just feeling so…soft.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 18 Apr. 2024
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
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 25 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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