afterglow

noun

af·​ter·​glow ˈaf-tər-ˌglō How to pronounce afterglow (audio)
1
: a glow remaining where a light has disappeared
2
: a pleasant effect or feeling that lingers after something is done, experienced, or achieved
basking in the afterglow of success

Examples of afterglow in a Sentence

the afterglow of the sunset
Recent Examples on the Web For the past decade, photographer Mark Seliger has set up an elaborate pop-up studio inside the annual after-party , producing exquisite portraits of Hollywood’s A-list personalities in the immediate afterglow of cinema’s biggest event of the year. Anna Tingley, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Still basking in the afterglow of an evening spent dancing with her children, a Senegalese mother (Khady Sy) prepares for bed when her 16-year-old son, Seydou (Seydou Sarr), confesses his desire to migrate. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 For decades, City Ballet was home to the aforementioned George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, two men whose artistic afterglows continue to illuminate the stages of nearly every ballet company in operation today. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024 In the afterglow of Michigan’s breakthrough Rose Bowl win over Alabama, Jim Harbaugh casually tossed a comparison that most coaches would be too cautious to invoke and most players would be too intimidated to accept. Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024 Then, in 2003, astronomers watching a nearby afterglow saw the brilliant fireworks of a supernova just days after a long gamma-ray burst: The burst had signaled the first stage in the death of a giant star. Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 Kelce’s stock has also soared in Sunday’s afterglow. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023 The afterglow enabled them to nail down the GRB's location to a region just 100 light-years away from the nucleus of an ancient galaxy—i.e., very near the supermassive black hole at its center. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 June 2023 That's because of the cosmic microwave background radiation, the afterglow of the Big Bang that pervades the universe, discovered in 1964. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'afterglow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

after- + glow entry 2

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of afterglow was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near afterglow

Cite this Entry

“Afterglow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afterglow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

afterglow

noun
af·​ter·​glow -ˌglō How to pronounce afterglow (audio)
1
: a glow remaining (as in the sky after sunsets) where a light has disappeared
2
: a pleasant feeling that lingers after something is done, experienced, or achieved
the afterglow of success

More from Merriam-Webster on afterglow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!