What does suntanning mean?
Suntanning is the deliberate exposure of one's skin to sunlight for the purpose of developing a darker or warmer skin tone. Used as a noun, it names the activity, as in a reference to an afternoon of suntanning by the sea. Used as a verb, it describes both a person acquiring a tan and, occasionally, an object or surface becoming darker through sun exposure. The word is informal and common in everyday conversation, while sunbathing is a more formal alternative and tanning is the broader term for the process. Suntanning also occurs naturally in expressions referring to outdoor work or travel, although deliberate tanning exposes people to ultraviolet radiation, which can cause sunburn, premature skin aging, and an increased risk of skin cancer. It is therefore best understood as a familiar name for a familiar but potentially hazardous practice.
The activity of exposing one's skin to sunlight in order to develop a tan.
"Suntanning is popular in warm coastal resorts."
Usually treated as a mass noun rather than counted as a separate event.
To develop a tan by exposing one's skin to sunlight.
"They suntanned on the rooftop all afternoon."
Usually intransitive and informal.
Suntanning is normally used as a mass noun; plural forms are uncommon.
"She spent the summer suntanning on the coast."
Suntanning sounds harmless, but excessive ultraviolet exposure can damage skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does suntanning come from?
The compound combines the English word sun with tanning, a form related to tan, meaning to become or make brown. Both suntan and suntanning became established in 20th-century English, when deliberate sun-tanning was increasingly treated as a leisure activity. The form shares its elements with related words such as sunlight, sunburn, and sunny.
Related word forms
How suntanning is actually used
The term is common in everyday British and American English. In British English, suntan can also mean the tan itself, while in American English the spelling suntanned is standard; sun-tanned is also widely accepted. The activity carries a mild association with leisure and warm weather, but medical and public-health contexts emphasize the risks of ultraviolet exposure.