daylight
/ˈdeɪlaɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdeɪlaɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdā-ˌlīt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdeɪ.laɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdeɪ.laɪt/ (ame, ipa)
daylight — noun
1. the brightness that the sun produces during the day, which allows people to see
the brightness that the sun produces during the day, which allows people to see outdoors without needing lamps or other artificial light
The bedroom gets plenty of daylight through the large south-facing windows.
collocation: plenty of daylight
Dahlia prefers to work in daylight rather than under a desk lamp.
preposition: in daylight
We need to finish the garden work before the daylight fades this evening.
The old curtains let almost no daylight into the dusty living room.
Photographs taken in daylight often show truer colours than those shot indoors.
- sunlight
more specific — refers only to the direct rays of the sun, not the general brightness of the sky
- natural light
a broader term that can include reflected or indirect light, often used in photography and architecture
- daytime
refers to the period of time, not the light itself
用法筆記
Unlike 'sunlight', which refers specifically to the sun's direct rays, 'daylight' includes the general brightness of the sky during daytime hours.
常見錯誤
daylight — verb
- daylightpresent simple I / you / we / they
- daylights3rd person singular
- daylighting-ing form
- daylightedpast simple
- daylitpast participle
1. to design or arrange a building so that sunlight reaches the inside spaces, redu
to design or arrange a building so that sunlight reaches the inside spaces, reducing the need for electric lighting
The architects daylighted the main hall with glass panels set into the roof.
Zuri's house was daylighted with mirrors that reflect sunlight into the kitchen.
passive: was daylighted with [method]
The new library uses a special window design to daylight every reading room.
Lauren suggested daylighting the basement studio by digging a light well outside.
文法句型
daylight + object (a building/room)
be daylighted + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Nearly always used in architectural or design contexts. The passive form ('was daylighted', 'is being daylighted') is common in professional descriptions of building projects.
2. to remove the material covering a waterway so that the water, instead of running
to remove the material covering a waterway so that the water, instead of running through a pipe or tunnel, flows in the open air under the sky once again
The local government daylighted the buried creek that ran beneath the old market square.
Volunteers helped daylight a two-hundred-metre section of the river behind the shopping centre.
object + measure phrase: daylight a [length] section of [waterway]
After the stream was daylighted, fish and birds returned to the neighbourhood within a year.
Hamza's company specialises in daylighting urban rivers that have been hidden for decades.
文法句型
daylight + object (a stream/waterway)
用法筆記
A technical term in urban planning and ecology. The subject is typically a government body, environmental group, or engineering firm. The object is always a waterway — stream, creek, river, or canal.
3. to remove parking spaces near a road junction or pedestrian crossing so that dri
to remove parking spaces near a road junction or pedestrian crossing so that drivers and people on foot can see approaching traffic more clearly
The council plans to daylight the junction outside the primary school next month.
Sahil's report showed that daylighting just ten parking spots near the crossing could prevent accidents.
gerund + measure phrase: daylighting [number] [noun] near [location]
After the intersection was daylighted, the number of near-misses dropped by half.
Drivers are now able to see oncoming bikes clearly because the corner has been daylighted.
文法句型
daylight + object (a junction/crossing)
用法筆記
Primarily used in British and Australian traffic planning contexts. The term is closely associated with 'daylighting' regulations that ban parking within a certain distance of crossings. In American English, the concept exists but the verb 'daylight' is much less common in this sense.
4. to bring hidden information, problems, or dishonest activities to public attenti
to bring hidden information, problems, or dishonest activities to public attention, especially after they have been kept secret for a long time
The journalist spent two years trying to daylight the corruption inside the planning department.
Ezra's report on social media helped daylight the unfair treatment of temporary workers.
object: unfair treatment / corruption / problems
Once the internal emails were daylighted, the company had to admit its mistake publicly.
The documentary aims to daylight the environmental damage caused by illegal mining operations.
文法句型
daylight + object (a problem/secret/scandal)
用法筆記
Figurative use of the noun 'daylight' (bringing something into the light where it can be seen). The object is always an abstract noun — a problem, secret, scandal, or hidden practice. More common in journalism and activism than in everyday speech.