twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

often attributive

1

a

: the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night produced by diffusion of sunlight through the atmosphere and its dust

especially : such light immediately following sunset

b

: a time of twilight

2

a

: an intermediate state that is not clearly defined

… lived in the twilight of neutrality …

—Newsweek

b

: a period of decline

Synonyms of twilight

• dark
• dusk
• shadows
• night
• darkness
• blackness
• black
• gloom

Examples of twilight in a Sentence

The sun set and twilight fell.

stumbled around the twilight of the shuttered room, unable to see where she was going

Recent Examples on the Web

At the end of that decade, in 1999, as the fourth-generation SL was entering its twilight years, the speed freaks at AMG decided to create a special SL hotrod. —Brett Berk, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2026

Colorful epic aerial panorama of San Francisco skyline downtown with business building skyscraper and waterfront at twilight in California, USA. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026

Lucas, a Democrat in the twilight of his final term as mayor, at the time pointed to his ability to fundraise, his strong name ID in western Missouri and a deep understanding of the political issues affecting Kansas City. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026

But the tangy, clean scent of sea spray and radiant purple-pink twilights make the planning more than worth it. —Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twilight

• twilight glow
• twilight world
• twilight zone

Rhymes for twilight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

: the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night