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sunray

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /sˈʌnreɪ/

US

  • /sˈʌnreɪ/

Description

A sunray is not the sun itself, but a narrow beam of light that seems to come from it. Imagine lying in a meadow and noticing warm lines of light falling across your skin. Those are sunrays. They are often described as golden, soft, or bright, especially when they shine through clouds, windows, or trees.

People usually use the word to talk about visible light in a scene, not as a scientific term. A painter may show sunrays falling across a field. A writer may describe sunrays entering a dark room and making it feel warm and alive. The word can also suggest hope, peace, or a fresh start, though this is usually done through the image rather than as a fixed figurative phrase.

Examples

  1. 1

    Indoor light

    A sunray fell across the kitchen table.

    • Meaning

      sunray

      a narrow line of light from the sun

  2. 2

    Nature walk

    Sunrays filtered through the trees as we walked along the path.

  3. 3

    Weather change

    One bright sunray broke through the clouds after the storm.

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • sunraynoun