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 event is visible anywhere on Earth — with best views at twilight. —Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026

Saturn Slightly higher than both inner planets will be Saturn, which at magnitude 1 may require careful scanning in the bright twilight with a pair of binoculars. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 26 Feb. 2026

But some critics argue that restricting access is too rigid and, in the case of Glacier National Park, may invite more people on the road during dangerous twilight hours. —Outside, 24 Feb. 2026

Venus and Mercury will appear lowest on the horizon during twilight; Saturn and Neptune will appear slightly higher; and Uranus and Jupiter will appear the highest. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 Feb. 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