dusk

Meaning

Adj

Tending to darkness or blackness; moderately dark or black; dusky.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The time after the sun has set but when the sky is still lit by sunlight; the evening twilight period.
2. (countable, uncountable) A darkish colour.
3. (countable, uncountable) The condition of being dusky; duskiness

Verb

1. (intransitive) To begin to lose light or whiteness; to grow dusk.
2. (transitive) To make dusk.

Synonyms

twilight

evening

🌆

nightfall

sunset

gloaming

dark

candlelight

darkness

dim

crepuscule

night

🌃

sundown

half-light

evenfall

night-time

late afternoon

eventide

dawn

fall

gloom

murky

obscure

gloam

crepuscle

owl-light

gloomy

eve

blur

dusky

semi-darkness

dimness

faint light

shady

somber

sombre

tonight

vagueness

vesper

window

🪟

evening twilight

get late

obnubilate

toward evening

twilight scene

lamp-lighting time

lighting-up time

poor light

mirky

six o’clock in the evening

the beginning of night

Translations

crépuscule

Abenddämmerung

crepuscolo

Dämmerung

crepúsculo

crepuscle

crepusculum

anochecer

schemering

crepúsculo

schemerdonker

halfdonker

anoitecer

schemer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dʌsk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: dosk

Inherited from Old English: dox

Cognate with Latin: fuscus

Cognate with Sanskrit: धूसर

Cognate with Old Irish: donn

Inherited from Middle English: dusken

Inherited from Old English: doxian

In summary

From Middle English dosk, dusk(e) (“dusky”, adj.), from Old English dox (“dark, swarthy”), from Proto-Germanic *duskaz (“dark, smoky”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwes-, related to *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, mist, haze”). Cognate to Latin fuscus (“dark, dusky”), Sanskrit धूसर (dhūsara, “dust-colored”), Old Irish donn (“dark”). Related to dye, dust and dun (see these for more).