Meaning & use

dawned

verb·Everyday

Last updated

Began to grow light in the morning, or became gradually apparent or understood.

See it in a sentence

The day dawned bright and clear after a week of rain.

It slowly dawned on him that he had left his passport at home.

A note on using this word

The figurative sense "it dawned on me," meaning a realization gradually became clear, is now at least as common as the literal meaning about sunrise.

Words with a similar meaning

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