dusk

1 of 3

adjective

: dusky
beginning to grow dusk outside

dusk

2 of 3

verb

dusked; dusking; dusks

intransitive verb

: to become dark
the dusking room

transitive verb

: to make dark or gloomy
a gray light dusked the roomWilliam Sansom
… his … formality dusked by the saturnine mood of ill health.Herman Melville

dusk

3 of 3

noun

1
: the darker part of twilight especially at night
The park closes at dusk.
2
: darkness or semidarkness caused by the shutting out of light

Examples of dusk in a Sentence

Adjective under a dusk sky, the campers wearily bedded down for the night Verb the grief-stricken woman continued to sit in the dusking room until she was completely enveloped in darkness Noun The park closes at dusk. we stopped playing at dusk, since it was getting too dark to see the ball
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
When the summer heat creeps to unbearable temperatures, pre-dawn and post-dusk become the most appealing times to run. Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2022 Mylar space blankets draped across their shoulders glistened a surreal golden hue as the vessel’s blinding strobe lights illuminated the post-dusk spectacle. Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2021
Noun
Perhaps the most impressive features of this tiny home are the floor-to-ceiling windows, which provide tons of natural light throughout the day and give you a beautiful view of nature at dusk. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024 Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 40 people around the eastern city of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, according to the country’s health ministry, and at dusk more strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs. Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dusk 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English dosk, alteration of Old English dox; akin to Latin fuscus dark brown, Old English dunn dun, dūst dust

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of dusk was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dusk

Cite this Entry

“Dusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusk. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

dusk

noun
ˈdəsk
1
: the darker part of twilight especially at night
2
: partial darkness

More from Merriam-Webster on dusk

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