What does sunning mean?
Sunning is a verb meaning to place something in the sun so that it becomes warm, dry, or tanned, or to enjoy the sunlight. The word is especially associated with drying clothes, crops, or other materials and with spending time outdoors in warm weather. Although its form may sound poetic or old-fashioned, it remains natural in careful descriptive writing. In many situations, speakers choose the more familiar verb “dry” or the phrase “bathe in the sun.” Sunning also carries a gentle, leisurely connotation when it describes a person or animal relaxing in sunlight, as in a story about cats sunning themselves on a warm roof. It is the present participle of “sun,” a Germanic word related to Latin solar and to English forms such as “solar” and “solarium.”
verbTo expose something to the sun, especially for the purpose of warming or drying it. It can also refer to a person or animal enjoying the sunlight.
- To expose someone or something to the sun for warmth, drying, or tanning.
- To enjoy the sunlight, especially by lying or sitting in it.
"She left the linen to sunning on the grass."
"The farmers are sunning the grain before storing it."
"Cats spend much of the afternoon sunning themselves on the windowsill."
Sunning is the quiet verb behind a sunny day: it means to bask in the sun's warmth or dry something in its light.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sunning come from?
The verb “sun” comes from the Old English sunnan, meaning to expose something to the sun or to burn, and is related to the Old English noun sunne. The word belongs to the Germanic family and shares its conceptual root with forms such as “solar,” which comes from Latin sol, meaning “sun.” The present participle “sunning” preserves the ordinary English verb formation in -ing.
Related word forms
How sunning is actually used
The word is relatively uncommon in modern everyday English; “sun” or “dry in the sun” is often more natural. It can sound literary or descriptive rather than conversational.