evening

evening — noun

1. The period of the day when daylight fades into darkness, starting around five or

1.nounA1
Definition

The period of the day when daylight fades into darkness, starting around five or six in the late afternoon and lasting until people prepare for sleep.

Example

Ravindra likes to go for a walk in the evening after finishing work.

preposition phrase: in the evening

The evening sky turned deep orange as the sun went down behind the hills.

compound noun: evening sky

Common collocations
  • early evening
  • late evening
  • every evening
  • in the evening
  • evening sky
  • evening air
  • evening light
  • evening meal
  • evening class
Synonyms
  • dusk

    More literary and specific; refers only to the brief period when daylight is ending.

  • nightfall

    Similar to dusk but emphasises the moment when darkness arrives.

  • sunset

    Focuses on the visual event of the sun going down, not the entire evening period.

Antonyms
  • morning

    The early part of the day from sunrise to noon.

Grammar Patterns

in the evening

this/that evening

evening + noun

Usage Note

Evening is often divided into 'early evening' (roughly 5–7 PM) and 'late evening' (after 8 PM until bedtime). In most contexts, 'evening' refers to the period before 'night' (when people usually sleep).

Common Mistakes

I will see you in the night at 7 PM.
I will see you in the evening at 7 PM.
'Night' means the dark hours when most people sleep; 'evening' refers to the earlier hours after the workday ends.
She works in evening.
She works in the evening.
'Evening' as a time period usually needs the definite article unless used with 'this/that/every'.

2. A planned social gathering, performance, or entertainment that takes place durin

2.nounB1
Definition

A planned social gathering, performance, or entertainment that takes place during the evening hours.

Example

Leo and his colleagues attended a formal evening at the town hall last Saturday.

collocation: formal evening

The school is holding a musical evening to raise money for library books.

collocation: musical evening

Common collocations
  • musical evening
  • formal evening
  • family evening
  • romantic evening
  • evening of entertainment
  • memorable evening
Synonyms
  • gala

    A grand, often lavish evening event, usually with a formal or charitable purpose.

  • soirée

    A fashionable social gathering held in the evening, often in a private home.

  • reception

    A formal social event held after a ceremony, often with food and drinks.

Grammar Patterns

a/an + adjective + evening

evening of + noun

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense is always countable and typically preceded by an adjective describing the type of event (musical evening, family evening, romantic evening).

evening — exclamation

evening — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"Evening" and "night" describe overlapping but different periods: evening is the earlier part when people are still active (roughly 5 PM to bedtime), while night is the dark period when most people sleep. "Dusk" and "twilight" are more narrow and poetic — dusk refers to the brief moment when the sun has just set and the sky is still dimly lit, while twilight covers the soft light period both before sunrise and after sunset. In everyday conversation, a learner is safest with "evening" for after-work hours and "night" for the late, dark hours. For example: "I went for a walk in the evening and was home before night fell." For creative writing, "dusk" and "twilight" add atmosphere but sound unnatural in casual speech.

evening ↗night ↗dusk ↗twilight ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • evening meal
  • evening class
  • evening walk
  • evening news
  • evening shift
  • evening sky
  • evening light

Phrases

  • early evening
  • late evening
  • this evening
  • tomorrow evening
  • yesterday evening
  • evening of the day

Prepositions

  • in the evening
  • during the evening
  • by evening
  • towards evening
  • on + (day) + evening

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'evening' comes from Old English 'ǣfnung', meaning 'the time around sunset'. This developed from 'ǣfen' ('evening'), which is related to German 'Abend' and Dutch 'avond'. The earlier form 'even' (without the '-ing' suffix) was used in Middle English and survives in the poetic word 'eve' (as in 'Christmas Eve').