daytime

daytime — noun

1. the hours of the day when the sun is up, providing natural light — from early mo

1.nounB2
Definition

the hours of the day when the sun is up, providing natural light — from early morning until evening, as opposed to night

Example

Devika prefers to study in the daytime because her apartment is brighter then.

collocation: in the daytime

During the daytime, the café on Market Street is busy with office workers.

collocation: during the daytime

Common collocations
  • during the daytime
  • in the daytime
  • daytime hours
  • daytime temperature
  • daytime sky
  • daytime television
Synonyms
  • daylight

    refers more to the natural light itself than to the time span; 'open the curtains to let in the daylight'

Antonyms
  • nighttime

    the period from evening until morning, when it is dark

Grammar Patterns

the daytime

during the daytime

in the daytime

Usage Note

Daytime is an uncountable noun that usually appears with the definite article in phrases like 'in the daytime' and 'during the daytime.' It can also be used as an adjective before a noun (daytime television, daytime hours). Do not confuse with 'daylight,' which refers specifically to the natural light itself rather than the time period.

Common Mistakes

I prefer to go for a walk in day time.
I prefer to go for a walk in the daytime.
daytime is always written as one word, and the definite article 'the' is required in this phrase.
The daytime is very hot today.
It is very hot during the daytime today.
daytime names a period, not a weather condition; use 'during the daytime' when referring to that part of the day.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Daytime, daylight, and day all relate to the 24-hour cycle but differ in scope. Daytime (B2) is the period when the sun is up — it contrasts with nighttime and is used in fixed phrases like 'during the daytime' or 'in the daytime.' Daylight (B2) focuses on the natural light pouring from the sun: 'we lost daylight as the storm rolled in.' Day (A1) is broader — it can mean the 24-hour calendar unit ('I saw her two days ago'), the daytime period ('I worked all day'), or a historical era ('in those days'). Use daytime when you mean the light hours specifically, daylight when the quality or presence of light matters, and day when the context is calendar time or a general contrast with night.

daytime ↗daylight ↗day ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in the daytime
  • during the daytime

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Daytime comes from Old English dægtīma, a straightforward compound of dæg ('day') and tīma ('time'). The word has kept the same form and meaning for more than a thousand years, which is unusual for English vocabulary.