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
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
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The third photo showed three inflatable sun bed loungers hooked together so the group could stay close and not drift apart.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 June 2025
Bluesky Social, 21 May 2025
Arizonans are accustomed to seeing western diamondbacks slithering around or sunning themselves on rocks.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sun
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Noun
Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2025
The third photo showed three inflatable sun bed loungers hooked together so the group could stay close and not drift apart.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
Vultures are very clean birds, spending a lot of time bathing, preening, and sunning to keep themselves in tip-top shape!
—Bluesky Social, 21 May 2025
Arizonans are accustomed to seeing western diamondbacks slithering around or sunning themselves on rocks.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sun
Cite this Entry
“Sun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sun. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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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