dusk 1 of 3

adjective

ˈdəsk How to pronounce dusk (audio)
Definition of dusknext
as in darkened
being without light or without much light under a dusk sky, the campers wearily bedded down for the night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dusk

2 of 3

noun

1
as in sunset
the time from when the sun begins to set to the onset of total darkness we stopped playing at dusk, since it was getting too dark to see the ball

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2
as in night
a time or place of little or no light legends of fearsome beasts living in the dusk of the great forest

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3
as in shade
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays the forbidding dusk of Germany's famed Black Forest

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dusk

3 of 3

verb

as in to darken
to grow dark the grief-stricken woman continued to sit in the dusking room until she was completely enveloped in darkness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dusk
Adjective
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 Forgive me for skipping dinner, but my pre-dusk meals were simply not going to be outshone. — Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 22 Aug. 2021
Noun
Solar fixtures recharge during the day and switch on automatically at dusk, so there are no wires to run and no extra draw on your electric meter. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026 Culex mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus tend to feed around dawn and dusk. — Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Aug. 2026
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 See All Example Sentences for dusk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dusk
  1. darkened
  2. sunset
  3. night
  4. shade
  5. darken
  6. dark
  7. twilight
  8. shadows
Adjective
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of darkened
Noun
  • This case is small enough for spontaneous games by the lake, in an airport lounge, or after a long lunch that stretches into sunset cocktails—even the simplest games deserve first-class treatment.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Insider tip Follow the paths through the lavender fields at sunset, when the bees begin to settle and the fields catch the last of the ethereal light.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of sunset
Noun
  • The finish was one of 12 on the night, a card volume that turned Belgrade into a record-setter.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Ben Williamson scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in the 11th inning and Junior Caminero added a two-out RBI single as Tampa Bay rallied to beat Colorado 9-7 on Tuesday night after the Rockies roughed up Freddy Peralta in his Rays debut.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of night
Noun
  • While The Row’s version is sold out in classic shades like black and cream, Quince just dropped fresh summer and early fall colors, including ivory, bright red, and tea green.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Look at your existing lawn and landscaping and note the amount of shade your yard is getting.
    — Amanda Tust, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of shade
Verb
  • The sky darkens to twilight, exposing the Sun's corona and sometimes revealing stars and planets as temperatures briefly cool.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The summer sounds of 1966 offered a distraction from darkening clouds of social and political upheaval.
    — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of darken
Adjective
  • Their traditional decor centers around darker fabrics and pale wall coverings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Her doctor advised her to stop clinical hyperpigmentation treatments for her dark spots and uneven skin tone as some ingredients could be unsafe to use while trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • The breaking of silence in a tipsy twilight, if only for the sake of comical nonsense, can be as blessed as the break of dawn.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The sky darkens to twilight, exposing the Sun's corona and sometimes revealing stars and planets as temperatures briefly cool.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of twilight
Noun
  • As political turmoil and public discontent grow, Geonyoung, played by Jung Woosung, emerges from the shadows to chase down a revenge plot nearly a decade in the making.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Between color and contrast, rest assured that visuals will be lifelike yet discernible (and you won’t get picked off by a bad agent hiding in the shadows).
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of shadows

Browse Nearby Words

during
dusk
dusked
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Cite this Entry

“Dusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dusk. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dusk

Nglish: Translation of dusk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dusk

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