Dusk — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈdəsk/

Meaning & Definition of Dusk

Dusk (adjective)

  1. dusky

Dusk (verb)

  1. to become dark
  2. to make dark or gloomy

Dusk (noun)

  1. the darker part of twilight especially at night
  2. darkness or semidarkness caused by the shutting out of light

Dusk (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being without light or without much light

    "under a dusk sky, the campers wearily bedded down for the night"

    similar: black, caliginous, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, unlit
    related: crepuscular, twilit, moonless, starless, sunless, cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, beclouded, befogged, clouded, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy
    opposite: bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous
    near: ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent, radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling, ultrabright, glossy, lustrous, shiny, floodlit, highlighted, spotlighted, moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit

Dusk (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: crepuscule, eve, evenfall, evening, eventide, gloaming, night, nightfall, sundown, sunset, twilight
    related: dark, darkness, nighttime
    opposite: aurora, cockcrow, dawn, dawning, daybreak, daylight, morn, morning, sunrise, sunup
    near: day, daytime, light, forenoon

  2. a time or place of little or no light

    "legends of fearsome beasts living in the dusk of the great forest"

    similar: black, blackness, candlelight, dark, darkness, gloaming, gloom, murk, night, semidarkness, shade, shadows, twilight, umbra
    related: midnight, blackout, brownout, dimout, shadiness, umbrage, dullness, somberness, cloudiness, fogginess, haziness, mistiness, murkiness, dimness, faintness, gloominess, grayness, paleness, half-light
    opposite: blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, daylight, glare, glow, light, lightness
    near: moonlight, starlight, sunlight, effulgence, radiance, radiancy, shine, sunshine, incandescence, luminance, luminescence, luminosity, luminousness

  3. partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays

    "the forbidding dusk of Germany's famed Black Forest"

    similar: penumbra, shade, shadiness, shadow, umbra
    related: blackness, dimness, duskiness, gloom, gloominess, murkiness, obscurity, semidarkness, somberness, cloudiness
    near: brightness, brilliance, effulgence, illumination, incandescence, light, lightness, lucidity, lucidness, luminance, luminosity, luminousness, radiance, radiancy

Dusk (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to grow dark

    "the grief-stricken woman continued to sit in the dusking room until she was completely enveloped in darkness"

    similar: black out, blacken, close in, darken
    related: dim, fade, wane, gloom, lower
    opposite: brighten, light, lighten
    near: dawn, beam, glow, radiate, shine

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dusk

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dusk:

black, caliginous, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, unlit, crepuscule, eve, evenfall, evening, eventide, gloaming, night, nightfall, sundown, sunset, twilight, blackness, candlelight, darkness, gloom, murk

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dusk

Words with the opposite meaning of Dusk:

bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous, aurora, cockcrow, dawn, dawning, daybreak, daylight, morn, morning, sunrise, sunup, blaze, brightness, brilliance, day, glare, glow, lightness, brighten, lighten

Related Words for Dusk

crepuscular, twilit, moonless, starless, sunless, cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, beclouded, befogged, clouded, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy, nighttime, midnight, blackout, brownout, dimout, umbrage, dullness

Near Antonyms of Dusk

ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent, radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling, ultrabright, glossy, lustrous, shiny, floodlit, highlighted, spotlighted, moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit, daytime, forenoon, moonlight

Word Forms of Dusk

Inflections: dusked, dusking, dusks

Origin & Etymology of Dusk

Middle English dosk, alteration of Old English dox; akin to Latin fuscus dark brown, Old English dunn dun, dūst dust

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Dusk

from dawn to/until dusk

Frequently Asked Questions about Dusk

What does "Dusk" mean?

"Dusk" means dusky. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: dusky. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dusk"?

Other words for "Dusk" include black, caliginous, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome and dim. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dusk" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dusk"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dusk". Common alternatives include black, caliginous, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed and dusky.

What is the opposite of "Dusk"?

Antonyms of "Dusk" include bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit and lightsome. Near antonyms include ablaze, agleam, aglitter and alight.

How do you use "Dusk" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dusk" in a sentence: "under a dusk sky, the campers wearily bedded down for the night"; "we stopped playing at dusk, since it was getting too dark to see the ball"; "legends of fearsome beasts living in the dusk of the great forest".

Is "Dusk" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dusk" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dusk"?

"Dusk" is pronounced /ˈdəsk/.

What is the origin of the word "Dusk"?

"Dusk" comes from Middle English dosk, alteration of Old English dox; akin to Latin fuscus dark brown, Old English dunn dun, dūst dust. First known use: 13th century.