twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

often attributive

1

a

: the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust

especially : such light immediately following sunset

b

: a time of twilight

2

a

: an intermediate state that is not clearly defined

… lived in the twilight of neutrality …

—Newsweek

b

: a period of decline

Synonyms of twilight

• dark
• dusk
• shadows
• night
• darkness
• blackness
• black
• gloom

Examples of twilight in a Sentence

The sun set and twilight fell.

stumbled around the twilight of the shuttered room, unable to see where she was going

Recent Examples on the Web

The crescent moon will be visible to the naked eye, but binoculars can make the delicate curve of the lunar crescent and nearby Saturn much easier to spot at twilight. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026

Both events promise unforgettable views of the sun's corona, plunging daytime into an eerie twilight. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 May 2026

For a few minutes, the day will turn to twilight, the sun’s corona will appear, and one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles will unfold over a variety of spectacular landscapes. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

Earlier this week, Draymond Green made headlines by criticizing the twilight of Charles Barkley’s Hall of Fame career. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twilight

• twilight glow
• twilight world
• twilight zone

Rhymes for twilight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

: the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night