daylight
Medium to highFormal, neutral, informal (idiomatic usage varies)
Definition
Meaning
The natural light of the day, especially sunlight.
Daytime; openness and clarity; time or opportunity; a visible gap or difference; the period when something becomes known or apparent.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun; can refer literally to light, time period, or be used metaphorically for clarity/exposure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slight differences in idioms (e.g., 'daylight robbery' more UK). Compound terms (e.g., 'daylight saving time' US, 'daylight saving' UK) have different official names.
Connotations
Similar across dialects. 'Daylight robbery' is a strong idiom in UK English implying blatant overcharging.
Frequency
Both use the word equally for core meanings; some specific idioms show regional frequency variation.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
See [something] in broad daylight[verb] in daylightLet daylight inBring [something] to daylightVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “broad daylight”
- “daylight robbery”
- “see daylight”
- “burn daylight”
- “beat the living daylights out of someone”
- “scare/frighten the daylights out of someone”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal: 'Their prices are daylight robbery.' Formal: 'We operate during standard daylight hours.'
Academic
Used descriptively in fields like architecture, biology, or psychology (e.g., 'effects of daylight on circadian rhythms').
Everyday
Common for describing time, light, or clarity (e.g., 'I'll finish the job in daylight tomorrow.').
Technical
Used in photography ('daylight balance'), architecture ('daylight factor'), and time systems ('daylight saving time').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was daylit by the sudden sunrise.
American English
- The room was daylit by a large skylight.
adverb
British English
- They worked all night and finally finished daylight.
American English
- The thief struck daylight, surprising everyone.
adjective
British English
- The daylight robbery was shocking.
American English
- The daylight saving time change is next week.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I get up when it is daylight.
- We play outside in the daylight.
- The burglary happened in broad daylight.
- Plants need plenty of daylight to grow.
- The new policy finally saw daylight after months of debate.
- There's a world of daylight between their two proposals.
- The investigation scared the daylights out of the corrupt officials.
- Architects calculate the daylight factor to optimise well-being in buildings.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the compound word: DAY + LIGHT. The light we have during the day.
Conceptual Metaphor
DAYLIGHT IS KNOWLEDGE/CLARITY (e.g., 'His explanation brought the issue into daylight.'), DAYLIGHT IS OPPORTUNITY (e.g., 'I finally saw daylight in the project.').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not directly equivalent to 'день'. 'Daylight' is specifically the light, not the 24-hour period.
- 'Воровать средь бела дня' translates to 'to steal in broad daylight', not '...in white day'.
- 'Daylight saving time' is a fixed term, not a phrase to translate literally word-for-word ('летнее время').
Common Mistakes
- Using 'daylight' to mean 'a day' (e.g., 'I'll do it in one daylight' is wrong).
- Incorrect plural: 'daylights' is only used in fixed idioms (e.g., 'scare the daylights'), not for multiple periods of light.
- Confusing 'daylight' with 'sunlight' (daylight includes all natural daytime light, even on cloudy days).
Practice
Quiz
Which idiom uses 'daylight' to mean 'a very large difference'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. 'Sunlight' is light specifically from the sun. 'Daylight' is the natural light present during the day, which includes sunlight but also the diffuse light from the sky on cloudy days.
Yes, but it is rare and technical, mostly used in architecture and design. It means 'to light (a building or space) with natural daylight'.
It's a strong British idiom meaning an act of charging a price that is blatantly and excessively high, comparable to a robbery committed openly without fear.
They refer to the same concept. 'Daylight Saving Time' (DST) is the common term in American English and official in some countries. 'Summer Time' is the official term used in the UK and many other countries. Both involve setting clocks forward in spring.