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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

sunshine.

The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.

8 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
  1. The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.

    uncountable · usually
    We were warmed by the bright sunshine.
  2. A location on which the sun's rays fall.

    uncountable · usually
    We moved out of the shade and into the sunshine.
  3. Geniality or cheerfulness.

    figuratively · uncountable · usually
    I enjoyed the sunshine of her smile.
  4. A source of cheerfulness or joy.

    figuratively · uncountable · usually
  5. The effect which the sun has when it lights and warms some place.

    uncountable · usually
  6. A friendly form of address often reserved for juniors.

    Ireland · UK · uncountable · usually
    Alright, sunshine, safe to cross now.
  7. An ironic form of address directed toward someone perceived as inferior or troublesome.

    Ireland · UK · uncountable · usually
    OK, sunshine, listen up and listen good. There's five vandalised telephone boxes out there and I know you're responsible.
  8. Used to address someone who has just woken up or is very sleepy.

    humorous · uncountable · usually
    Good morning, sunshine!
  9. Ellipsis of orange sunshine.

    abbreviation · alt-of · ellipsis · slang · uncommon · uncountable · usually
Where this word comes from

In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun + shine. Compare isolated Old English sunsċīn (“mirror”).

adj/ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
  1. Open to and permitting public access, especially with regard to activities that were previously closed-door or back-room meetings.

    US · not-comparable
    Because of the sunshine law, we could go to the planning meeting.
Where this word comes from

In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun + shine. Compare isolated Old English sunsċīn (“mirror”).

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.