sunshine
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
suhnshynSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsʌnʃaɪn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
A location on which the sun's rays fall.
The effect which the sun has when it lights and warms some place.
A source of cheerfulness or joy.
figurative
Geniality or cheerfulness.
ukireland
Friendly form of address often reserved for juniors.
adjective
chiefly us
Open to and permitting public access, especially with regard to activities that were previously closed-door or back-room meetings.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.
Used this way, sunshine is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
An automobile roof having a sliding or raisable panel.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.