sunny en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /sənːi/ (South-Asia)
- /ˈsʌni/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈsʌne/ (Scotland)
- (US) audio
- /ˈsʊni/ Northern England, Dublin, without the foot-strut split
Etymology
From Middle English sunni, from Old English *sunniġ. Cognate with West Frisian sinnich, Low German sünnig, sonnig, Dutch zonnig, German sonnig. Equivalent to sun + -y.
Meanings
-
(of weather or a day) Featuring a lot of sunshine.
Whilst it may be sunny today, the weather forecast is predicting rain.
The forecast calls for a slight warming trend in the coming days, with sunny skies and daytime temperatures reaching the midteens on Sunday and Monday, when the men will hit the snowboard course.
2022 February 4, John Branch, “U.S. snowboarder Jamie Anderson qualifies for the slopestyle final.”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2022:Spring was the sunniest season, and was the sunniest spring on record. It was the season with the fourth most sunshine on record, beaten by three summers: 1911, 1976 and 1995. Summer was then sunnier than average.
2025 December 17, Helena Horton, “2025 is UK’s sunniest year on record, boosting solar power”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2026:
-
(of a place) Receiving a lot of sunshine.
the sunny side of a hill
I would describe Spain as sunny, but it's nothing in comparison to the Sahara.
-
(figuratively) Cheerful.
A gleam of sun shining through the unsashed window, and chequering the dark workshop with a broad patch of light, fell full upon him, as though attracted by his sunny heart.
1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. (please specify the chapter number)”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC:a person with a sunny disposition
Altman tweeted a sunny message after the combative announcement.
2023 November 18, Blake Montgomery, Dani Anguiano, “OpenAI fires co-founder and CEO Sam Altman for allegedly lying to company board”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 May 2024:My decayed fair / A sunny look of his would soon repair.
c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:Sunak is a sunnier character than DeSantis, who could illuminate a stage by getting off it. He is also the more reliable friend of Ukraine. Other than that, their oneness is striking.
2023 August 8, Janan Ganesh, “The oneness of Ron DeSantis and Rishi Sunak”, in Financial Times:Unloved, and uncaressed, her childhood unbrightened by the sunny mirth of that age, her girlhood a gloomy period of austere seclusion […]
1849, The Literary Garland, page 244:
-
Of or relating to the sun; proceeding from, or resembling the sun; shiny; radiant.
sunny beams
1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Visions of the Worlds Vanitie”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:the four winds blow in from every coast Renownèd suitors, and her sunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sunnier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| sunniest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
Sunnyside · Sunny Isles Beach · sunny side down · sunnily · Sunny Isles · unsunny · sunny-day flooding · sunny uplands · semisunny · sunny side up · Sunnyvale · Sunny Corner · Sunny South · sunniness · sunnybell
Synonyms
bright (day) · bright · sunlit · sunshiny (day) · cheerful
Translations (111)
ang sunniġ (weather, day) · uk со́нячний (weather, day) · gl solleiro (weather, day) · ka მზიანი (weather, day) · lo ແດດຮ້ອນ (weather, day) · rm sulagliv (weather, day) · ko 화창하다 (weather, day) · fi iloinen (cheerful) · nl zonnig (weather, day) · az günəşli (weather, day) · pl słoneczny (weather, day) · tr güneşli (weather, day) · sc solianu (weather, day) · lv saulains (weather, day) · lv saulains (cheerful) · uk со́нячний (place) · fi aurinkoinen (place) · pt ensolarado (place) · bg слъ́нчев (weather, day) · rm sulegliv (weather, day) · ca radiant (cheerful) · ar شَامِس (weather, day) · br heoliek (weather, day) · rm sugliagleiv (weather, day) · pt ensolarado (cheerful) · fr ensoleillé (place) · ms cerah (weather, day) · sl sončen (weather, day) · gl solloso (place) · pt solarengo (weather, day) · az günlü (weather, day) · ko 맑다 (weather, day) · it soleggiato (weather, day) · sh sùnčan (place) · ru со́лнечный (weather, day) · cmn 晴朗 (weather, day) · yi זוניק (weather, day) · cs slunečný (weather, day) · ajp مشمّس (weather, day) · cjs кӱнниг (weather, day) · mk сончев (place) · lb sonneg (weather, day) · fa آفتابی (weather, day) · ar مُشْمِس (weather, day) · ro însorit (weather, day) · ur آفتابی (weather, day) · avd افتوی (weather, day) · su lénglang (weather, day) · la aprīcus (weather, day) · ur دھوپ دار (weather, day) · alt кӱндӱ (weather, day) · es asoleado (weather, day) · ca asolellat (place) · lv saulains (place) · it soleggiato (place) · el ηλιόλουστος (place) · eo suna (place) · bg весел (cheerful) · grc προσήλιος (place) · pdt sonnich (place) · hu napos (weather, day) · fr ensoleillé (weather, day) · mi matanui (place) · la aprīcus (place) · hi धूपदार (weather, day) · tl maaraw (weather, day) · nl zonnig (place) · fi aurinkoinen (cheerful) · gl solleiro (place) · vi nắng (weather, day) · mk весел (cheerful) · pt ensolarado (weather, day) · gl sollío (place) · bg слънчев (place) · fi auringonpaisteinen (weather, day) · es soleado (weather, day) · ca asolellat (weather, day) · eo suna (weather, day) · sh sùnčan (weather, day) · ga grianmhar (weather, day) · be со́нечны (weather, day) · bg лъчезарен (cheerful) · ja 晴れた (weather, day) · hu napfényes (place) · eo sunplena (place) · hi आफताबी (weather, day) · mn нарлаг (weather, day) · it soleggiata (weather, day) · sk slnečný (weather, day) · mk сончев (weather, day) · km មានថ្ងៃ (weather, day) · de heiter (weather, day) · fi aurinkoinen (weather, day) · sv solig (weather, day) · et päikseline (weather, day) · sh vȅseo (cheerful) · nl zonnig (cheerful) · gd grianach (weather, day) · ur آفتاب گوں (weather, day) · cy heulog (weather, day) · id cerah (weather, day) · hu napos (place) · de sonnig (weather, day) · pdt sonnich (weather, day) · sh rȁdostan (cheerful) · km ចេញថ្ងៃ (weather, day) · it soleggiata (place) · el έχει λιακάδα (weather, day) · kw howlyek (weather, day) · nds-de sünnig (weather, day) · th แดดร้อน (weather, day)