dusk

dusk — noun

1. the time in the evening when daylight fades and colours in the sky gradually dis

1.nounB1
Definition

the time in the evening when daylight fades and colours in the sky gradually disappear, just before night begins.

Example

Putri loved walking home at dusk, when the sky glowed orange and purple.

The children were told to be inside by dusk, before the streets grew completely dark.

collocation: by dusk

Common collocations
  • at dusk
  • by dusk
  • from dawn to dusk
  • dusk falls
  • dusk settles
Synonyms
  • twilight

    more poetic and literary; can refer to either the morning or evening period between light and dark, while dusk is specifically evening

  • nightfall

    focuses on the moment when night begins, whereas dusk emphasises the gradual fading period

  • sundown

    more informal and American; often refers to the exact moment of sunset rather than the following dim period

Antonyms
  • dawn

    the time in the morning when light first appears, opposite end of the day

Grammar Patterns

at dusk

by dusk

from dawn until dusk

Usage Note

Dusk is not a precise time — it describes the transition period when the sky is still partly lit after sunset. Compare with twilight (more poetic) and nightfall (the moment when darkness fully arrives).

Common Mistakes

I will meet you at the dusk.
I will meet you at dusk.
Dusk is uncountable and does not take an article.
Dusk is the time when the sun goes down.
Dusk is the time just after the sun goes down, when the sky is still partly lit.
Sunset is the moment the sun disappears; dusk is the period that follows.

dusk — adjective

dusk — verb

Word family

  • dusky
    adjectiveB2
  • duskily
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dusk, twilight, nightfall, sunset, and evening all refer to the end of the day, but each highlights a different part. Sunset is the specific moment the sun disappears below the horizon — it happens fast and you can time it exactly. Dusk is the period that follows, when the sky is still partly lit but growing dimmer; it is the most practical word for everyday use. Twilight overlaps with dusk but carries a more poetic, atmospheric feel and can refer to either morning or evening. Nightfall names the point when darkness fully arrives, often used for safety warnings ('be home by nightfall'). Evening is the broadest of the five — it stretches from late afternoon until bedtime and does not necessarily imply darkness. For example: 'We watched the sunset from the hill, then walked home through the dusky fields and arrived just before nightfall.'

dusk ↗twilight ↗nightfall ↗sunset ↗evening ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • from dawn to dusk
  • dusk falls

Prepositions

  • at dusk
  • by dusk
  • until dusk
  • after dusk

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Dusk traces back to the Old English word dox, meaning 'dark' or 'dark-coloured.' It belongs to a Germanic family that also includes the Old High German tusin (pale yellow, dark) and the Middle Dutch dosch (dull brown). The word first appeared in English as an adjective, and the noun meaning 'the dark period at the end of the day' emerged around the early 1600s.