Sunday
Sunday
Pronunciation
Sun: /sʌn/
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/ʌ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/n/ - alveolar nasal
day: /deɪ/
/d/ - voiced alveolar stop
/eɪ/ - diphthong (as in "face")
Word Form Variations
Singular: Sunday
Plural: Sundays (refers to multiple instances of the day)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The first day of the week, observed in many cultures as a day of rest, worship, or leisure.
Synonyms: Lord's Day, Sabbath (in some contexts, though Sabbath specifically refers to the day of rest, which can be Saturday for some religions).
Antonyms: Weekday, workday.
Definition 2: A specific instance of this day, often used when referring to an upcoming or past occurrence.
Example: "We're meeting next Sunday."
Synonyms: (No direct synonyms for this specific usage, as it refers to a particular instance.)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific usage.)
Adverb
Definition: On Sunday; occurring or happening on the day of Sunday. (Used when "Sunday" modifies a verb or adjective to indicate time.)
Example: "The store is closed Sundays." or "I usually relax on Sunday."
Synonyms: (No direct synonyms; often expressed with the preposition "on")
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; expressed by other days of the week, e.g., "Mondays")
Examples of Use
Books:
"On a quiet Sunday afternoon, she often found herself lost in the pages of an old novel, the only sound the distant chirping of birds." (Example from a contemporary novel)
"It was a Sunday well spent, full of laughter and the aroma of freshly baked bread, a memory he would cherish for years to come." (From a memoir)
Newspapers:
"The local football team secured a decisive victory in their Sunday afternoon match, drawing a record crowd to the stadium." (Kenya News)
"Experts predict a surge in holiday travel this coming Sunday, urging commuters to plan their journeys accordingly." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Why Sunday brunches have become the ultimate weekend ritual for millennials." (BuzzFeed)
"Our comprehensive guide to making the most of your Sunday reset, from meal prep to mindful meditation." (Well+Good)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show Dialogue: "What are you doing next Sunday? We're having a barbecue at my place." (From a popular sitcom)
Song Title: "Lazy Sunday Afternoon" (Song by a folk artist)
Podcast Title: "The Sunday Review: A Weekly Dive into Current Events" (Podcast episode)
Movie Title: Any Given Sunday (Movie)
General Public Discourse:
"See you Sunday for the market!" (Heard in conversation at a local market)
"I'm really looking forward to a relaxed Sunday after this busy week." (Spoken by a friend discussing weekend plans)
"Are you working this Sunday, or do you have the day off?" (Question asked among colleagues)
10 Quotes Using Sunday
"Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week." (Joseph Addison)
"Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week." (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
"Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan." (Albert Schweitzer)
"Poetry is truth in its Sunday clothes." (Joseph Roux)
"I love to go to the zoo. But not on Sunday. I don't like to see the people making fun of the animals, when it should be the other way around." (Ernest Hemingway)
"Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." (Susan Ertz)
"On Sunday mornings, as the dawn burned into day, swarms of gulls descended on the uncollected trash, hovering and dropping in the cold clear light." (Edward Conlon)
"My favorite day is Sunday. That is my spiritual day." (Prince)
"This is a Sunday school in which every pupil is a teacher." (George Bernard Shaw)
"The city takes a breath on Sunday. Of all that's lost with the pursuit of what's next, I hope we don't lose that." (Hawksley Workman)
Etymology
The word "Sunday" has a fascinating history that goes back to ancient times, long before English as we know it existed!
Imagine ancient people looking up at the sky. They saw the sun, moon, and visible planets, and they believed these celestial bodies had a big influence on their lives. So, they started naming days after them.
The idea of a seven-day week actually came from the Babylonians, and then it spread to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Romans named their first day dies solis, which literally means "day of the sun."
When Germanic tribes (the ancestors of English speakers) adopted this seven-day week system from the Romans, they translated these names into their own languages. So, dies solis became Sunnandæg in Old English (which was spoken before the year 700 AD). Sunnan meant "sun" and dæg meant "day," so it was still "sun's day."
Over time, this Sunnandæg evolved into the Middle English sunnenday, and eventually, into our modern English word "Sunday."
So, the first known meaning of "Sunday" was quite literally "the day of the sun," named after the celestial body. It wasn't originally tied to specific religious observances, although it later became significant for Christians as the "Lord's Day" because of the belief in Jesus's resurrection on that day.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Sunday
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "Sunday":
Sunday best: One's best clothes, typically worn for church or special occasions.
Sunday driver: A driver who drives very slowly, often to the frustration of others.
Sunday papers: The large, often expanded, editions of newspapers published on Sunday.
Sunday school: A class providing religious education, typically for children on Sundays.
A face like a wet Sunday: (Lesser-known) To look miserable or unhappy.
Blue Sunday: A day of depression or sadness. (Similar to "Blue Monday")
Not a Sunday in a hundred: (Original, similar to "once in a blue moon") Something that happens very rarely.
Sunday stroll: A leisurely walk taken on a Sunday.
Every Sunday's a feast day: (Original, using a synonym for a similar effect) Implying a time of consistent good fortune or enjoyment.
Longest Sunday: (Original, for a similar effect to "long day") A day that feels exceptionally extended, perhaps due to boredom or anticipation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of Sunday from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
