sunny

sunny — adjective

1. describes the weather when the sun is shining strongly and there are few or no c

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes the weather when the sun is shining strongly and there are few or no clouds in the sky

Example

Last Saturday was a sunny day, so the Watanabe family went to the beach.

collocation: sunny day

Hannah opened the curtains wide and let the sunny light fill the living room.

collocation: sunny light

Common collocations
  • sunny day
  • sunny weather
  • sunny morning
  • sunny afternoon
  • sunny sky
  • sunny spot
  • sunny side
  • sunny light
Synonyms
  • bright

    focuses on the intensity of light; can describe a day with some clouds, unlike 'sunny'

  • clear

    stresses the absence of clouds rather than direct sunlight

  • fine

    common in British English for pleasant, dry weather; broader than 'sunny'

Antonyms
  • cloudy

    opposite weather condition, with many clouds blocking the sun

  • overcast

    the sky is completely covered with clouds, with little or no sunlight

Common Mistakes

Today is a sunny weather.
Today is sunny.
'weather' is an uncountable noun and cannot follow 'a.'

2. used to describe a person who is happy, friendly, and tends not to worry or beco

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

used to describe a person who is happy, friendly, and tends not to worry or become angry easily

Example

Yuki has a sunny personality and always makes her friends laugh.

collocation: sunny personality

Despite the bad news, Ignacio kept his sunny smile throughout the meeting.

collocation: sunny smile

Common collocations
  • sunny personality
  • sunny smile
  • sunny disposition
  • sunny outlook
  • sunny nature
  • sunny character
Synonyms
  • cheerful

    more common for temporary moods; 'sunny' implies a more lasting, warm personality

  • optimistic

    focuses on expecting good outcomes rather than general friendliness

  • bright

    overlaps but is less specific about emotional warmth

Antonyms
  • gloomy

    describes a person who is sad or pessimistic

  • moody

    describes someone whose feelings change quickly and often negatively

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (BRIGHT WEATHER)—this sense applies only to people, their moods, or their personalities. Common in fixed phrases such as 'sunny smile,' 'sunny disposition,' and 'sunny outlook.'

Common Mistakes

She is very sunny today, but yesterday she was sad.
She is very cheerful today, but yesterday she was sad.
This sense describes a lasting personality trait, not a temporary mood.

sunny — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words can describe good weather, but each focuses on a different aspect. “Bright” emphasises strong light — a day can be bright even with some clouds, as long as the light is intense. “Clear” points to a sky without clouds or haze, regardless of whether the sun is actually visible. “Fine” is a general British English term for pleasant, dry conditions and is very common in weather forecasts (“fine weather”). “Fair” sounds slightly more formal or old-fashioned and suggests acceptable but not necessarily sunny conditions (“fair skies”). “Sunny” is the most specific — it tells you the sun is actually shining. For example, forecasters might say “fine and sunny” (pleasant with sunshine) or “bright but cloudy” (strong light behind clouds), but they would never say “sunny but cloudy” because the two contradict each other.

bright ↗clear ↗fine ↗fair ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'sunny' comes from the Old English word 'sunne' (meaning 'sun') combined with the suffix '-ig', which means 'full of' or 'having the quality of'. It was first used before the 1100s to describe bright weather. By the 1500s, people had started using it to describe cheerful people as well, comparing a warm personality to the warmth of the sun.