# dusk

/ˈdəsk/ (US) · /dˈʌsk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dusk
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. the time before night

noun · CEFR B2

the time of day when it is nearly dark, just after the evening light starts to fade.

For teachers: the final stage of twilight before the onset of night. Uncountable in general reference, though countable when referring to specific instances.

- The street lights usually come on at dusk when the sky turns purple.
- As dusk fell over the valley, the hikers quickened their pace to reach the campsite before the trail became invisible in the dark.

### 2. to grow dark

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary

to slowly become dark as the day ends.

For teachers: to grow dark or to begin to lose light. Intransitive and primarily found in poetic or descriptive prose.

- The woods began to dusk as the shadows grew longer between the trees.
- The landscape dusks rapidly in the high mountains, catching many unprepared travellers without adequate lighting.

### 3. dark in colour

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

having a dark or shadowy colour.

For teachers: tending toward darkness or blackness in hue. Often replaced by 'dusky' in modern speech.

- The bird had dusk feathers that helped it hide in the shadows.
- The ancient tapestry was woven with dusk threads of indigo and charcoal, depicting a scene of midnight revelry.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.