different between sunshine vs sunlessness

English

Etymology

In the Coverdale Bible in 1535, in Genesis and Exodus about 1250 as Middle English sunnesine; synchronically sun +? shine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?n?a?n/
• Hyphenation: sun?shine

Noun

sunshine (usually uncountable, plural sunshines)

1. The direct rays, light or warmth of the sun.

   Synonyms: sun, sunlight

2. A location on which the sun's rays fall.
3. (figuratively) Geniality or cheerfulness.
4. A source of cheerfulness or joy.
5. The effect which the sun has when it lights and warms some place.
6. (Britain) Friendly form of address often reserved for juniors.

7. (Britain) Ironic form of address used to an inferior or troublemaker.

8. (humorous) Used to address someone who has just woken up and/or is very sleepy.

Derived terms

Related terms

• sunbeam

Translations

Adjective

sunshine (not comparable)

1. (chiefly US) Open to and permitting public access, especially with regard to activities that were previously closed-door or back-room meetings.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• sunshine on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

English

Etymology

sunless +? -ness

Noun

sunlessness (uncountable)

1. The state or characteristic of being without the sun or sunshine.
   • 1999, Tim Radford, "Light and shade," Guardian (UK), 7 Aug. (retrieved 3 Aug. 2009):

     In Penzance and Falmouth, the total eclipse will last for 2 minutes 2 seconds. The longest period of sunlessness will be in Romania, at 2 mins 23 seconds.

2. (figuratively) Dreariness, joylessness.
   • 1882, George MacDonald, Weighed and Wanting, ch. 7:

     The honor she paid the honesty of these women helped her much to pity the sunlessness of their existence, and the poor end for which they lived.

   • 1986, Terrence Anthony Whalen, Philip Larkin and English Poetry, UBC Press, ?ISBN, p. 116:

     Given such an aware sensibility, they move, it seems to me, marginally past the sunlessness of a great deal of the wasteland literature of this century, and past the literature of despair of our own day.