Dawn — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈdȯn/

Meaning & Definition of Dawn

Dawn (verb)

  1. to begin to grow light as the sun rises
  2. to begin to appear or develop
  3. to begin to be perceived or understood

Dawn (noun)

  1. the first appearance of light in the morning followed by sunrise
  2. beginning

Dawn (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance

    "we stayed up talking until dawn"

    similar: aurora, cockcrow, dawning, day, daybreak, daylight, light, morn, morning, sun, sunrise, sunup
    related: daytime, forenoon
    opposite: nightfall, sundown, sunset
    near: dark, darkness, midnight, night, nighttime, afternoon, midday, dusk, evening, eventide, gloaming, twilight

  2. the point at which something begins

    "the dawn of civilization"

    similar: alpha, baseline, beginning, birth, commencement, day one, genesis, get-go, inception, incipience, incipiency, kickoff, launch, morning, nascence, nascency, onset, outset, start, threshold
    related: drawing board, first base, ground zero, square one, creation, founding, inauguration, initiation, institution, origination, cradle, fountain, fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, source, spring, well, wellspring, dawning, opening, advent, appearance, arrival, debut, emergence, childhood, infancy, youth
    opposite: close, conclusion, end, ending, omega
    near: cessation, closing, closure, completion, finale, finish, period, stop, termination, windup

Dawn (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to come into existence

    "a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke"

    similar: actualize, appear, arise, begin, break, commence, engender, form, materialize, originate, set in, spring, start
    related: be, breathe, exist, live, subsist, arrive, come on, emerge, coalesce, cohere, shape (up), continue, endure, last, persist, survive
    opposite: cease, end, stop
    near: conclude, desist, discontinue, finish, halt, quit, terminate, disappear, dissolve, evaporate, vanish, depart, die, expire, pass away, perish

Related Entry: Dawn (on) (verb)

Dawn (on) is a different word from Dawn. The synonyms below are for dawn (on), not for dawn.

  1. to enter the mind of

    "it finally dawned on me that I had been going the wrong way"

    similar: come (to), cross, occur (to), strike
    related: recall, recollect, remember, reminisce, con, learn, memorize, appear, arrive, emerge, materialize
    near: forget, unlearn, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dawn

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dawn:

aurora, cockcrow, dawning, day, daybreak, daylight, light, morn, morning, sun, sunrise, sunup, alpha, baseline, beginning, birth, commencement, day one, genesis, get-go, inception, incipience, incipiency, kickoff, launch, nascence, nascency, onset, outset, start, threshold, actualize, appear, arise, begin, break, commence, engender, form, materialize

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dawn

Words with the opposite meaning of Dawn:

nightfall, sundown, sunset, close, conclusion, end, ending, omega, cease, stop

Related Words for Dawn

daytime, forenoon, drawing board, first base, ground zero, square one, creation, founding, inauguration, initiation, institution, origination, cradle, fountain, fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed, source, well, wellspring, opening, advent, appearance, arrival, debut, emergence, childhood, infancy

Near Antonyms of Dawn

dark, darkness, midnight, night, nighttime, afternoon, midday, dusk, evening, eventide, gloaming, twilight, cessation, closing, closure, completion, finale, finish, period, termination, windup, conclude, desist, discontinue, halt, quit, terminate, disappear, dissolve, evaporate

Word Forms of Dawn

Inflections: dawned, dawning, dawns

Origin & Etymology of Dawn

Middle English, probably back-formation from dawning daybreak, alteration of dawing, from Old English dagung, from dagian "to dawn" daw:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Dawn

Words & Phrases Containing Dawn

dawn chorus, dawn horse, dawn redwood, dawn on, at the crack of dawn, from dawn to/until dusk, predawn

Frequently Asked Questions about Dawn

What does "Dawn" mean?

"Dawn" means to begin to grow light as the sun rises. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to begin to grow light as the sun rises. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dawn"?

Other words for "Dawn" include aurora, cockcrow, dawning, day, daybreak, daylight, light and morn. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dawn" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dawn"?

There are 90 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dawn". Common alternatives include aurora, cockcrow, dawning, day, daybreak, daylight, light, morn, morning and sun.

What is the opposite of "Dawn"?

Antonyms of "Dawn" include nightfall, sundown, sunset, close, conclusion, end, ending and omega. Near antonyms include dark, darkness, midnight and night.

How do you use "Dawn" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dawn" in a sentence: "we stayed up talking until dawn"; "the dawn of civilization"; "a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke".

Is "Dawn" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dawn" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Dawn" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Dawn" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Dawn"?

"Dawn" is pronounced /ˈdȯn/.