dusk

1 of 3

adjective

ˈdəsk 

: 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

The passing of a cloud dusked the shore

—Fiona Macleod (William Sharp)

… 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

Synonyms of dusk

Adjective

• darkened
• dark
• murky

Verb

• darken

Noun

• sunset
• night
• twilight
• evening

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

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

Verb

With minimal humidity, near-perfect clear-sky frequency and vast empty horizons, Namibia offers the kind of slow, immersive darkness that makes dusking feel less like a trend and more like a return to something ancient. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers. — Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 15 Jan. 2026

Noun

Effigies of Ravana—often along with those of Ravana’s son Meghanada (also known as Indrajit) and Ravana’s brother Kumbhakarna—are stuffed with firecrackers and set ablaze at dusk in open fields. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

Shawn and his father found the man on the easternmost coast of their island shortly after dusk, when the sky was drained of almost all its orange light and the waves had grown dark, topped with an eerie froth. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing dusk

• from dawn to/until dusk

Rhymes for dusk

• brusque
• busk
• husk
• musk
• tusk

Kids Definition

dusk

noun

ˈdəsk

1

: the darker part of twilight especially at night

2

: partial darkness