Phrase guide

early bird

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who wakes early or arrives early, typically before most others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: early riser, morning person, lark

Antonyms: nighthawk, night owl, night person, late riser

2

noun

Meaning 2

a person who gets up very early in the morning

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: riser

3

noun

Meaning 3

a person who arrives early before others do

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arrival, arriver, comer

History

Etymology

From the expression the early bird gets the worm.

Across languages

Translations

54 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: matiner — one who wakes early
  • Catalan: matinador — one who wakes early
  • Chinese Mandarin: 早起者 (zǎoqǐ zhě) — one who wakes early
  • Chinese Mandarin: 早到者 (zǎo dào zhě) — one who wakes early
  • Chinese Mandarin: 早鳥 /早鸟 (zǎoniǎo) — one who wakes early
  • Czech: ranní ptáče — one who wakes early
  • Danish: morgenmand — one who wakes early
  • Dutch: vroege vogel — one who wakes early
  • Dutch: ochtendmens — one who wakes early
  • Finnish: aamuvirkku — one who wakes early
  • Finnish: aamuihminen — one who wakes early
  • French: lève-tôt — one who wakes early
  • Galician: mañaengo — one who wakes early
  • Galician: mañanceiro — one who wakes early
  • Galician: madrugueiro — one who wakes early
  • Galician: madrugadeiro — one who wakes early
  • German: Frühaufsteher — one who wakes early
  • German: Frühaufsteherin — one who wakes early
  • German: früher Vogel — one who wakes early
  • German: Morgenmensch — one who wakes early
  • Greek: πρωινός τύπος (proïnós týpos) — one who wakes early
  • Greek: πρωινός (proïnós) — one who wakes early
  • Hungarian: korán kelő — one who wakes early
  • Italian: mattiniero — one who wakes early
  • Japanese: 早起きの人 (hayaoki no hito) — one who wakes early
  • Japanese: 朝型 (asagata) — one who wakes early
  • Korean: 일찍 일어나는 사람 (iljjik ireonaneun saram) — one who wakes early
  • Korean: 아침형 (achimhyeong) — one who wakes early
  • Latvian: rīta putns — one who wakes early
  • Latvian: cīrulis — one who wakes early
  • Macedonian: ранобу́дник (ranobúdnik) — one who wakes early
  • Norwegian Bokmål: morgenfugl — one who wakes early
  • Norwegian Bokmål: a-menneske — one who wakes early
  • Norwegian Bokmål: morgenmenneske — one who wakes early
  • Polish: ranny ptaszek — one who wakes early
  • Polish: skowronek — one who wakes early
  • Portuguese: madrugador — one who wakes early
  • Portuguese: matutino — one who wakes early
  • Russian: ра́нняя пта́шка (ránnjaja ptáška) — one who wakes early
  • Russian: жа́воронок (žávoronok) — one who wakes early
  • Serbo-Croatian: ranorànilac — one who wakes early
  • Slovak: ranný vták — one who wakes early
  • Spanish: madrugón — one who wakes early
  • Spanish: madrugador — one who wakes early
  • Spanish: mañanero — one who wakes early
  • Spanish: alondra — one who wakes early
  • Spanish: tempranero — one who wakes early
  • Swedish: morgonpigg — one who wakes early
  • Swedish: morgonmänniska — one who wakes early
  • Turkish: erkenci — one who wakes early
  • Turkish: sabahçı — one who wakes early
  • Ottoman Turkish: صباحجی (sabahcı) — one who wakes early
  • Ukrainian: ра́ння пта́шка (ránnja ptáška) — one who wakes early
  • Ukrainian: жайворонок (žajvoronok) — one who wakes early