Dusk
noun /dʌsk/ — The darkening between sunset and night — when the day lets go.
Definition
The darker stage of twilight; the period after sunset when light is fading but darkness has not yet fully arrived.
Beyond the definition
Dusk is the day's most emotionally complex hour — it is neither day nor night, neither here nor gone. Writers and painters have always found it significant: something about the failing light brings the world into sharper relief just before it disappears.
Origin & history
From Old English dox — dark (related to Old High German tusc: dark). The darkening — a word for darkness arriving slowly.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She always took her walk at dusk — the city softened then, its edges blurred by failing light.
Dusk lasted longer than you'd think, sliding through shades of blue that didn't have names.
There is something in dusk that insists you notice it — the light asks to be seen before it goes.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Dusk” when the meaning fits your context: The darker stage of twilight; the period after sunset when light is fading but darkness has not yet fully arrived.
Synonyms
Antonyms
dawn, daybreak, sunrise
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Shadows on a station platform
An adult stands on a train platform at dusk, with sunlight streaming through, creating distinct boundaries between light and dark.
The period after sunset, when light is fading into darkness, captures the transition of dusk. The scene highlights the diminishing light that defines this time of day.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Dusk" mean?
Dusk is noun meaning: The darkening between sunset and night — when the day lets go.. The darker stage of twilight; the period after sunset when light is fading but darkness has not yet fully arrived.
Where does the word "Dusk" come from?
From Old English dox — dark (related to Old High German tusc: dark). The darkening — a word for darkness arriving slowly.