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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Twilight

/ˈtwaɪˌlaɪt/ · noun

Meaning

The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth..

Definitions by Sense

  1. The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
  2. The time when said light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness.
  3. Any faint light through which something is seen.
  4. (astronomy) The time when the sun is less than 18° below the horizon.
  5. (figurative, by extension) An in-between or fading condition through which something is perceived.
  6. Pertaining to or resembling twilight; faintly illuminated; obscure.
  7. Synonym of mesopelagic (“Describing the pelagic zone of the ocean between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones, characterized by very minimal light.”)
  8. (transitive, poetic) To illuminate faintly.

Example Sentences

Near-synonym: half-light
I could just make out her face in the twilight.
It was twilight by the time I got back home.
At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
Two women, Eusabio’s wife and sister, looked on from the deep twilight of the hut.
The twilight of one's life
, Book IV, Chapter XIV The twilight […] of probability.
“They have not enough heart,” said Edith, with a smile. The very twilight of a smile: so singularly were its light and darkness blended.

Synonyms for twilight

blue hourgloamingcrepusculecrepusculumdimmetevenglomegloomingtweenlighttwilighthalf-lightmesopelagicdusktwilitfallduskynightfallevenfall

Antonyms for twilight

Related Words

duskgloamingtwilitevenfallnightfalldarkfallduskystarslightsunsetsundowndawneveningnebulousgreyblurreddeclinefuzzywoolly

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does twilight mean?

Twilight means The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth..

What is a synonym for twilight?

Common synonyms include blue hour, gloaming, crepuscule, crepusculum.

What is the opposite of twilight?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use twilight in a sentence?

Near-synonym: half-light

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.