Twilight
noun / adjective /ˈtwaɪ.laɪt/ — The soft light after sunset; a period of decline or fading.
Definition
The soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either in the morning (before sunrise) or evening (after sunset). Metaphorically: a period or state of gradual decline — the twilight of an era, a career, a life.
Beyond the definition
Twilight is the light of transition — neither day nor night, but the brief possibility between them. It makes the world strange and beautiful. And as a metaphor, it is the most honest word for endings.
Origin & history
Old English: 'twi' (two, between) + 'light'. Literally the light between — between day and night, between darkness and visibility. The 'twi' prefix suggests ambiguity, the space between two states.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She walked at twilight every evening — the light was the only thing that could slow her down.
He was in the twilight of his career and felt it as both relief and grief.
Twilight civilisations are not always dying — sometimes they are becoming something else.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Twilight” when the meaning fits your context: The soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either in the morning (before sunrise) or evening (after sunset). Metaphorically: a period or state of gradual decline — the twilight of an era, a career, a life.
Synonyms
Antonyms
dawn, zenith, peak
Related words
Twilight vs dusk
Twilight is the soft light between sunset and darkness. Dusk is the specific moment when the sun has set and the sky begins to darken toward night.
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
Swirling Pigments on Palette
An artist’s palette is covered in swirling, multi-colored pigments, blending into new shades as the brush moves.
The blending of colors, where one shade is lost to another as they merge, represents the state of twilight—a gradual decline or transition where the clarity of one state fades into the next.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Twilight" mean?
Twilight is noun / adjective meaning: The soft light after sunset; a period of decline or fading.. The soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, either in the morning (before sunrise) or evening (after sunset). Metaphorically: a period or state of gradual decline — the twilight of an era, a career, a life.
Where does the word "Twilight" come from?
Old English: 'twi' (two, between) + 'light'. Literally the light between — between day and night, between darkness and visibility. The 'twi' prefix suggests ambiguity, the space between two states.