sunlight
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.the natural light that comes from the sun.
n.the visible light and other radiation received from the sun. Uncountable in general use; countable when referring to specific instances or qualities of light.
Simple“The cat sat on the rug, enjoying the warm sunlight coming through the window.”
In context“The architect designed the atrium to maximise the intake of natural sunlight, reducing the building's reliance on artificial lighting during the winter months.”
UsageOften used with 'in' or 'into' to describe being exposed to the sun.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a feeling of hope, happiness, or clear understanding.
n.a figurative state of brightness, hope, or public exposure that brings clarity to a situation.
Simple“After months of bad news, the new job offer was a bit of sunlight in her life.”
In context“The investigative report finally brought the truth into the sunlight, exposing years of corruption within the local government.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'the sunlight of...' or 'to bring into the sunlight'.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to work at a second job during the day, usually in addition to a main job at night.
v.to hold a secondary job during daylight hours, typically as a counterpart to 'moonlighting' (working a second job at night).
Simple“He works as a security guard at night and sunlights as a gardener to make extra money.”
In context“While many musicians moonlight as bartenders, he chose to sunlight as a substitute teacher to keep his evenings free for rehearsals.”
UsageIntransitive verb; often used as a humorous or clever contrast to the more common 'moonlight'.
Synonymsdouble jobbing
From Middle English sonnelight, sunneliht, from Old English sunnan lēoht (“sunlight”), equivalent to sun + light. Cognate with Dutch zonlicht (“sunlight”), German Low German Sünnenlücht (“sunlight”), German Sonnenlicht (“sunlight”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.