sun
sun — noun
1. the enormous, glowing ball of hot gas in space that our world and neighbouring p
the enormous, glowing ball of hot gas in space that our world and neighbouring planets circle, supplying heat and light to this planet every day.
The sun rises in the east every morning over the village.
collocation: the sun rises / the sun sets
Without the sun, there would be no life on our planet.
modal + no life on our planet — cause/effect pattern
The sun is about 150 million kilometres away from Earth.
Indra watched the sun sink slowly behind the mountains.
文法句型
the sun + verb
in the sun
用法筆記
In scientific writing this sense is usually capitalised (the Sun), while in everyday writing lowercase (the sun) is more common.
常見錯誤
2. the light and warmth that reach the Earth's surface from the star in the sky.
the light and warmth that reach the Earth's surface from the star in the sky.
A grey cat slept in a patch of warm sun on the kitchen floor.
collocation: a patch of sun
The kitchen gets the morning sun, so it stays bright and cosy.
collocation: morning / afternoon / evening sun
After three days of rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds.
Noor sat reading on the balcony with the sun warm on her shoulders.
文法句型
in the sun
the sun + verb of movement (come out, break through)
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — never use a/an. It pairs naturally with verbs such as come out, break through, beat down, and pour in. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to the light/warmth (what you feel), not the physical star (what you see in the sky).
常見錯誤
3. any star in the universe that has one or more planets moving around it, forming
any star in the universe that has one or more planets moving around it, forming a planetary system.
Astronomers have discovered a distant sun with three rocky planets.
collocation: a distant sun
Every sun in the galaxy may have worlds orbiting it.
The telescope revealed a young sun surrounded by a thick ring of dust.
The Trappist system has seven planets orbiting a single cool sun.
- star
the everyday word — any luminous celestial body; 'sun' in this sense adds the idea of planets around it
- parent star
technical term used in exoplanet research
文法句型
a(n) + adjective + sun
sun + of + [constellation/region]
用法筆記
This sense is almost exclusively used in astronomy and science fiction. In everyday conversation, 'star' is preferred unless the speaker wants to emphasise the presence of orbiting planets.
4. a person who brings great warmth, happiness, or positive energy to those around
a person who brings great warmth, happiness, or positive energy to those around them, in a way that reminds others of the sun's brightness.
Grandmother Hua was the sun of our family, always patient and full of laughter.
the sun of our [group] — metaphorical possessive pattern
In the classroom, little Mira is a real sun who cheers everyone up.
a real sun — intensifier pattern for metaphor
After years of sadness, Andrew became his sun again, bringing joy back into his life.
Sirin is the sun of her friend group, always organising surprises for others.
- light of my life
a warmer, more intimate phrase — used for loved ones rather than admired people
- ray of sunshine
very common idiom for someone who makes others happy; slightly less intense than 'sun'
- grouch
informal — someone who is always unhappy or complaining
文法句型
the sun of + possessive noun
someone's sun
a little/true sun
用法筆記
Always used figuratively and complimentarily. Often appears with possessives (my sun, our sun, the sun of my life). This is a literary or affectionate usage — less common in casual conversation than other senses.
常見錯誤
sun — verb
1. to sit or lie in a sunny place so that your body receives sunlight, typically to
to sit or lie in a sunny place so that your body receives sunlight, typically to enjoy the warmth or to develop a suntan.
Theo spent the whole afternoon sunning himself by the hotel pool.
sun + oneself — reflexive pronoun required
On the beach, Hiro was sunning his back on a blue towel.
sun + body part — alternate reflexive pattern
In winter, Ziad likes to sun himself near the big living-room window.
The cats sunned themselves on the warm stones by the garden wall.
文法句型
sun + oneself/body part
be sunning + oneself
用法筆記
Almost always used reflexively — the object (oneself, himself, herself, themselves) cannot be dropped. You cannot say 'He sunned' without an object. The more common everyday synonym is 'sunbathe', which does not need an object.
常見錯誤
2. to put an object in sunlight so that it receives light, warmth, or dries out.
to put an object in sunlight so that it receives light, warmth, or dries out.
After washing the woollen blankets, Imani sunned them on the line.
sun + laundry item — typical object category
The gardener sunned the young seedlings before planting them out.
sun + plants — another common object type
In the village, people sun rice on large mats to dry it.
In summer, the farmer suns the chillies on the roof until they turn red.
- dry in the sun
more explicit; emphasises the drying result rather than the act of exposing
- air
does not necessarily involve sunlight — 'air the clothes' can mean letting them freshen in any breeze
- shade
to protect from direct sunlight
文法句型
sun + object (clothes, food, plants)
用法筆記
The object is always an inanimate item — typically laundry, crops, food, or household objects. This sense is less common in modern speech; people often say 'put something out in the sun' or 'dry something in the sun' instead.
sun — abbreviation
1. a written short form of Sunday, used in calendars, schedules, timetables, and in
a written short form of Sunday, used in calendars, schedules, timetables, and informal notes.
The community library is closed on Sun, so we went on Monday instead.
closed on Sun — common schedule pattern
Please check the bus timetable for Sun, the fifteenth of May.
The timetable shows trains running every hour on Sun until midnight.
The café opens late on Sun, so brunch there starts at ten.
文法句型
Sun. + date
on Sun.
closed Sun.
用法筆記
This abbreviation appears only in writing — never in spoken English. It is typically followed by a day number or used in lists. A full stop (Sun.) is common in US English but optional in UK English.