dawn
dawn — noun
- dawnsingular
- dawnsplural
1. the time in the early morning when the sun's light first appears in the sky, bef
the time in the early morning when the sun's light first appears in the sky, before the sun itself rises above the horizon.
Felix woke up before dawn to catch the early train to London.
before dawn — used as a time phrase
A cold mist hung over the fields at dawn, turning everything grey and quiet.
at dawn — prepositional phrase of time
The birds began singing at dawn, filling the garden with noise.
Dawn broke over the mountains, painting the snowy peaks in shades of pink and orange.
We sat on the empty beach and watched the dawn slowly light up the sky.
- sunrise
slightly later — dawn is the pale light before the sun appears; sunrise is the moment the sun becomes visible
- daybreak
more poetic or literary than 'dawn'
- first light
emphasises the very earliest moment when shapes become visible
用法筆記
Often used with the verbs 'break', 'arrive', or 'come' to describe the moment daylight begins. 'At dawn' is a fixed prepositional phrase used to indicate a specific time of day.
常見錯誤
2. the point in time when something new starts to exist or develop, especially a ma
the point in time when something new starts to exist or develop, especially a major change or important period in history.
The invention of the printing press marked the dawn of a new era in education.
the dawn of [a new era / a new age]
Many historians see the 1990s as the dawn of the internet age, when everything changed.
The discovery of penicillin brought the dawn of modern medicine and saved millions of lives.
Adopting a child was the dawn of a happier chapter for the young couple.
文法句型
the dawn of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed pattern 'the dawn of + abstract noun phrase' (e.g. the dawn of civilisation, the dawn of a new age). Not used for small everyday beginnings such as starting a meal or a conversation.
常見錯誤
3. used in fixed phrases to describe the whole period of daylight, from the time th
used in fixed phrases to describe the whole period of daylight, from the time the sun rises until it sets, often suggesting continuous hard work or activity.
During harvest season, the farmers worked from dawn to dusk in the fields.
from dawn to dusk — fixed phrase for all daylight hours
The construction crew laboured from dawn until dark to finish the building on time.
In summer, the village children play outside from dawn to dusk without getting tired.
The lighthouse keeper worked from dawn to dusk and kept the light on all night.
文法句型
from dawn to dusk
from dawn until dark
用法筆記
This sense does not describe dawn itself — it is tied to the paired expression 'from dawn to dusk/until dark'. The singular form 'dawn' here is part of a fixed adverbial phrase, not referring to the morning time directly.
常見錯誤
dawn — verb
- dawnpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dawns3rd person singular
- dawning-ing form
- dawnedpast simple
1. used of a day, morning, or season that begins, typically with light spreading ac
used of a day, morning, or season that begins, typically with light spreading across the sky; also used of a new period in history that starts to take shape.
The day dawned bright and clear, perfect for a picnic at the park.
day + dawned + adjective — describing how the day begins
The morning dawned grey and rainy, so the Watanabe family decided to stay indoors.
A new age dawned when the peace agreement was finally signed after years of war.
Summer dawned hot and dry that year, with no rain for almost two months.
As the festival dawned, the whole town buzzed with excitement and activity.
文法句型
day/morning/era + dawns
用法筆記
Always intransitive — there is no object. The subject is typically a time word (day, morning, summer) or an abstract period (era, age). The literal sense (day becomes light) is less common than metaphorical uses (a new era begins).
2. when a fact or idea dawns on you, you gradually come to understand or become awa
when a fact or idea dawns on you, you gradually come to understand or become aware of it, especially after not having realised it before.
The truth dawned on Felix slowly as he read the letter a second time.
the truth dawns on someone
It suddenly dawned on Jenna that she had left her passport on the train.
it dawns on someone that + clause
The seriousness of the situation dawned on the team only after they reached the village.
Gradually it dawned on the children that their pet hamster was not just sleeping.
It never dawned on Bao that his friendly neighbour was actually a famous writer.
文法句型
it dawns on/upon someone that...
the truth dawns on someone
用法筆記
Used only with the preposition 'on' (or more formally 'upon'). The subject is almost always an abstract noun (the truth, the reality) or the dummy 'it' followed by a that-clause. This sense is never used literally with the sun or light.