Meaning & use
sun
Last updated
Meanings
nounsingular
The huge star at the center of our solar system that gives the Earth its light and heat.
Grammar: Usually with the: the sun rises; capitalized Sun in science writing.
Patterns
- the sun rises
- the sun sets
The sun rises earlier in summer.
The Earth travels around the sun once a year.
Astronomers study how the sun produces energy.
noununcountable
The light and warmth that come from this star, felt in the open air.
Grammar: Used without an or the in general: lie in the sun, too much sun.
Patterns
- in the sun
- too much sun
We sat in the sun and drank lemonade.
Too much sun can damage your skin.
The cat likes to lie in the warm sun.
nouncountabletechnical
Any star that has planets circling it.
Grammar: Countable in science fiction and astronomy: a distant sun.
Patterns
- a distant sun
The planet circles a red sun far from our own.
Scientists found a planet orbiting a young sun.
The story takes place around a twin sun system.
verbtransitive
To sit or lie in the sunshine, especially to get warm or tanned.
Grammar: Often used with a reflexive pronoun: sun yourself.
Patterns
- sun yourself
- sun something
The lizards sun themselves on the warm rocks.
Tourists were sunning on the beach.
She hung the blankets out to sun them.
Word forms
| plural | suns |
|---|---|
| third person singular | suns |
| past tense | sunned |
| -ing form | sunning |
Common combinations
- the sun rises
- We left before the sun rose.
- the sun sets
- The sun sets behind the hills at six.
- bask in the sun
- Seals bask in the sun on the rocks.
- out of the sun
- Keep the baby out of the sun at midday.
- under the sun
- They talked about everything under the sun.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sunshine
- Sunshine is the light and warmth of the sun on the ground, while sun can also mean the star itself.
- daylight
- Daylight is the natural light of day, which may come even without direct sun.
- star
- Star is the general word for any burning sphere in space, while sun is the one our planet circles.
- bask
- Bask is a verb that suggests enjoying warmth, and is a close match to the verb use of sun.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sun or son?
sun vs son
Son is a male child and sounds exactly like sun, but the spelling differs: the sun shines, my son sleeps.
Practice
Remember to wear a hat, because there is not much shade and too much ____ can cause burns.
Choose one answer.
Sun is the uncountable noun meaning sunshine. Son is a homophone with a different meaning, sunny is an adjective, and suns would suggest several stars.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.