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

a gray light dusked the room

—William Sansom

… 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

Adjective

• black
• caliginous
• dark
• darkened
• darkish
• darkling
• darksome
• dim
• dimmed
• dusky
• gloomy
• lightless
• murky
• obscure
• obscured
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• pitchy
• rayless
• somber
• sombre
• stygian
• tenebrific
• tenebrous
• unlit

Verb

• black out
• blacken
• close in
• darken

Noun

• crepuscule
• crepuscle
• eve
• evenfall
• evening
• eventide
• gloaming
• night
• nightfall
• sundown
• sunset
• twilight

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

Noun

At dusk, a procession of the faithful takes to the streets with children often dressed as angels and shepherds. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2024

Crete is famous for these: the hills at dusk are all blues, violets and blacks; the sky a hundred shades of pink and orange where the sun hits the Aegean. —William Leigh, theweek, 10 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

dusk

noun

ˈdəsk

1

: the darker part of twilight especially at night

2

: partial darkness