English Reference
Noun

daybreak

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈdeɪˌbɹeɪk/ UK /dˈeɪbɹeɪk/ day·break UK spelling daybreaks

n.the time in the early morning when light first appears in the sky. It is the very start of the day before the sun fully rises.

n.the first appearance of light in the morning sky; the beginning of daylight. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts to mark the transition from night to morning.


SIMPLE

The birds began to sing at daybreak.

CONTEXTUAL

The hikers woke up before daybreak to reach the mountain summit by sunrise.

COMPLEX

As the grey shadows of night retreated at daybreak, the valley below was slowly revealed through a thin layer of morning mist.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'at' to indicate a specific time.

SpaceX launched the $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope shortly after daybreak aboard a triple-the-fire-power Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.

Phys.org· 30 Aug 2026

Water bombers were able to operate after strong winds blowing through the night eased at daybreak.

Phys.org· 16 Aug 2026

From day + break.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated