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dawnlight

dawnlight

3.9
Soft pale light that appears in the sky just before sunrise
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔnˌlaɪt/
translation icon : luz del amanecer
  • As the dawnlight broke over the horizon, they felt a renewed sense of hope for the day ahead.

Examples

  • Eventually, I fell asleep and woke in dawnlight to find my mother bending over me.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Of dawnlight, her cheek is made.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It was still dark, but the feel of it was close to dawnlight.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Dawnlight filled the cockpit, and she saw she was dangerously low on fuel; still, she had to push for altitude, taking up time and gas.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The rosy dawnlight spilled through the trees, creating a beautiful scene as the day began.

  • She stood by the window, watching the gentle dawnlight illuminate the sleeping town.

Synonyms

dawn
vsdawnlight
386 1.0

The first light in the sky before the sun rises

emphasizes the delicate pale colour of light rather than the moment itself
first light
vsdawnlight
34 1.7

The time in the morning when the sky starts to get bright

is the softer paler glow that appears slightly before sunrise
daybreak
vsdawnlight
29 1.0

The time in the early morning when light first appears in the sky

focuses on the soft pale quality of the light instead of timing
crack of dawn
vsdawnlight
  • Informal
19 3.2

Very early in the morning when the sun first appears

describes the pale soft light just before sunrise rather than the sunrise moment
morning sun
vsdawnlight
16 1.0

Light that appears early in the day soon after sunrise

refers to a paler gentler light that appears slightly earlier than that sunlight
dawning
vsdawnlight
14 3.7

The time when the first light appears in the morning

highlights the pale soft colour of that light rather than the process
break of day
vsdawnlight
4 1.0

The first light of morning when the sun rises

refers mainly to the gentle pale light itself rather than the time
new dawn
vsdawnlight
3 4.0

A time that brings a fresh start after a long hard time

can also mean literal pale morning light as well as symbolic new beginning
predawn
vsdawnlight
1 3.1

The time just before sunrise when it is still dark

focuses more on the pale soft colour of that early light
dayspring
vsdawnlight
  • Archaic
1 9.9

First light in the morning when the sky begins to get bright

is the neutral everyday reference to the same gentle pale morning glow
break of the day
vsdawnlight
1 1.9

The first light of morning when the sun begins to appear

points instead to the pale soft light quality rather than the time
aurora
vsdawnlight
  • Literature
8.6

The first light of day when the sky begins to brighten

is the everyday term for the same gentle pale light and hope
peep of day
vsdawnlight
  • Archaic
9.5

Very early morning when the first light comes

denotes a gentler paler glow but not necessarily the absolute earliest moment
sunglow
vsdawnlight
4.1

A warm golden light from the sun at sunrise or sunset

is paler and cooler in tone, appearing softly before the sun is up

Antonyms

534 1.0

A time or place with almost no light

210 3.5

A complete loss of hope

How Bright

daylight
294 1.0
sunrise
220 1.0
dawnlight
3.9
twilight
36 2.4
predawn
8 3.0

Surface Forms

dawnlight singular
dawnlights plural

Morphology

dawnlight = dawn + light (transparent) = dawn + light

A literal compound of 'dawn' + 'light' whose meaning (soft morning illumination) is directly derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Dawnlight is a simple blend of two common words, dawn ('the beginning of the day') and light ('what lets you see'). So it creates the image of the soft, pale light that appears at morning and can also mean the start of hope or a new era.