twilight

noun

twi·​light ˈtwī-ˌlīt 

often attributive

1

: 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

also : 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

• black
• blackness
• candlelight
• dark
• darkness
• dusk
• gloaming
• gloom
• murk
• night
• semidarkness
• shade
• shadows
• umbra

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

The old fire still burns, the flames glowing as fierce and bright as ever against the gathering twilight. —Rory Smith, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025

In the second half of the month, Saturn will become increasingly difficult to spot against the brightening evening twilight, eventually fading into the sun's glare by month's end. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Feb. 2025

Amateur videos recorded from land, sea, and air showed fiery debris trails streaming overhead at twilight, appearing like a fireworks display gone wrong. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2025

Lawrence—dressing for both the freezing temperatures and the twilight of her pregnancy—kept it comfortable in lots of layers. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing twilight

• twilight glow
• twilight world
• twilight zone

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