Sunward means toward the sun or in the direction of the sun. When a plant grows sunward, it bends and reaches toward sunlight streaming through a window. When a spacecraft travels sunward, it moves closer to the sun rather than away from it.

You can think of sunward like other directional words: homeward means toward home, eastward means toward the east, and sunward means toward the sun. On a bright morning, you might walk sunward down a trail, heading in the direction where the sun has risen. Sailors and navigators use the word when describing the position of objects relative to the sun.

The word often appears in poetry and stories to create a sense of hope or new beginnings, since the sun represents light, warmth, and energy. A character might turn their face sunward after a difficult time, literally and symbolically moving toward something brighter.