'sunbathing' originates from the combination of 'sun' and 'bathe', where 'sun' refers to the star at the center of our solar system and 'bathe' means to immerse in water or light.

'sunbathe' evolved from the Old English word 'bæðian', meaning 'to bathe', combined with 'sun'.

Initially, it meant 'to bathe in sunlight', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.