duskier; duskiest
1
: somewhat dark in color
specifically : having dark skin
2
: marked by slight or deficient light : shadowy
duskily adverb
duskiness noun

Examples of dusky in a Sentence

in the dusky depths of the dungeon
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.
The glitch smoothed out the eccentricities of texture in the image and cast a dusky halo around every shape. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025 Wildlife officials have put out a call to the public after the body of a dusky dolphin was found decapitated on a New Zealand beach. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2025 Olsen kept her glam simple for the evening and opted for a terracotta blush on her cheeks and a dusky mauve gloss on her lips. Starr Bowenbank, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025 The show’s palette trends toward bottle-green woods, gauzy golden light, dusky midnight-blue nighttime scenes, and grimly gray interiors, and within those tableaus, Task’s male characters are gorgeously aggrieved, emotion pouring off of them like coffee from a Wawa urn. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dusky

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dusky was in 1542

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Cite this Entry

“Dusky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dusky. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

dusky

adjective
duskier; duskiest
1
: somewhat dark in color
2
: somewhat dark : dim
a dusky room
duskily adverb
duskiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dusky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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