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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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
By early afternoon, the scene shifts across the shaded wooden deck, as guests slip in from the jetty barefoot and still damp from the sea, for long, languid lunches that roll into dusk. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Rods are especially sensitive to low levels of light and are important for vision at night and around dawn and dusk. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 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
  • One of the signature experiences is a sunset cruise through Cancún's Nichupté Lagoon, exclusively for The Reserve and Family Concierge guests.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Night would not return to these slopes until the first, fleeting sunset of the autumn, six weeks later.
    — Holden Frith, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sunset
Noun
  • Palo Alto Networks on Tuesday night ended its fiscal 2026 on a high note and signaled that the good times will continue in the new year.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The families of Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson said the park offered them food on the night of the injury, but have not been in contact since.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of night
Noun
  • Aside from the accessible play structures and equipment, Empowerment Park has group picnic and BBQ areas, community garden beds, accessible off-street and disabled parking, shade structures and self-cleaning restrooms.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Whether your skin skews golden, peach, olive, or pink, there are multiple shades with different undertone options to guarantee a close match.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of shade
Verb
  • Saturn is evident for much of the night, appearing low in the eastern sky as the sky darkens and reaching its highest point in the southern sky soon after midnight.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • During a partial lunar eclipse that peaked just after midnight on Friday, Earth’s shadow darkened parts of the moon’s visible surface.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of darken
Adjective
  • As Florian Wirtz was substituted during Liverpool’s 2-2 opening day draw at Newcastle United, the German midfielder sat on the bench, retrieved a bottle of dark red liquid, and began to drink.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In this version, the couple has moved from Chicago to London for a fresh start—bad things happened in Chicago—and the set features a wide town house with dark corners and William Morris wallpaper.
    — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But there have also been many mid-30s former All-Stars who couldn’t muster anything remotely close to greatness during their twilight tours with the Heat.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of twilight
Noun
  • The group uncovers betrayal within its own ranks and faces a battle for the fate of the world, ultimately awakening their true powers and restoring peace, though a new threat emerges quietly in the shadows.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Why not try to capture the moon using a DSLR camera and a telephoto lens when the Harvest Moon rises and in the weeks that follow to track how the shifting shadows alter its appearance?
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 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 8 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dusk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dusk

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