Meanings
nountwilight (countable and uncountable, plural twilights)
plural twilights
- countableuncountableThe soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
Near-synonym: half-light
1 more example
I could just make out her face in the twilight.
Synonyms: half-light
- countableuncountableThe time when said light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness.
It was twilight by the time I got back home.
1 more example
At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLCSynonyms: blue hour
- countableuncountableAny faint light through which something is seen.
Two women, Eusabio’s wife and sister, looked on from the deep twilight of the hut.
1927, Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop, Book VII, section 4, page 233 - countableuncountableastronomyThe time when the sun is less than 18° below the horizon.
- broadlycountablefigurativelyuncountableAn in-between or fading condition through which something is perceived.
The twilight of one's life
2 more examples
, Book IV, Chapter XIV The twilight […] of probability.
“They have not enough heart,” said Edith, with a smile. The very twilight of a smile: so singularly were its light and darkness blended.
1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC
adjectivetwilight (not comparable)
- not comparablePertaining to or resembling twilight; faintly illuminated; obscure.
- not comparableSynonym of mesopelagic (“Describing the pelagic zone of the ocean between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones, characterized by very minimal light.”)
twilight zone
Synonyms: mesopelagic
verbtwilight (third-person singular simple present twilights, present participle twilighting, simple past and past participle twilit or twilighted)
present singular third person twilights · participle present twilighting · participle past twilit · past twilit · participle past twilighted · past twilighted
- poetictransitiveTo illuminate faintly.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
Similar
nounThe time when said light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness.
Similar
adjectiveSynonym of mesopelagic (“Describing the pelagic zone of the ocean between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones, characterized by very minimal light.”)
Similar
Broader
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe time of day immediately following sunset
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishtwilight
- Englishtwilight
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English twilight, twyelyghte, equivalent to twi- (“double, half-”) + light, literally ‘second light, half-light’. Cognate to Scots twa licht, twylicht, twielicht (“twilight”), Low German twilecht, twelecht (“twilight”), Dutch tweelicht (“twilight, dusk”), German Zwielicht (“twilight, dusk”). Compare Old English twēone lēoht (“twilight”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans skemer, skemeraand
- skemerlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- skemeraandevening twilight
- skemerdonkerfaint light; dubious medium
Ancient Greek λύγη
- λύγη (lúgē)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Arabic شَفَق
- شَفَق (šafaq)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Bulgarian здрач, су́мрак
- здрач (zdrač)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- су́мрак (súmrak)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- полумра́к (polumrák)evening twilight
- дрезгавина́ (drezgaviná)faint light; dubious medium
Catalan crepuscle
- crepusclelight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Chinese Mandarin 黃昏 /黄昏, 薄暮
- 黃昏 /黄昏 (huánghūn)evening twilight
- 薄暮 (bómù)evening twilight
Czech soumrak, stmívání
- soumraklight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- stmíváníevening twilight
Danish tusmørke, skumring
- tusmørkelight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- skumringlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- grylight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- daggrylight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- skumringevening twilight
Dutch tweelicht, deemstering
- tweelichtlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- deemsteringlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- schemeringlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Esperanto krepusko
- krepuskolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Estonian agu, koit
- agulight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- koitlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- ehalight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- ehaevening twilight
Finnish hämärä, aamuhämärä
- hämärälight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- aamuhämärälight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- iltahämärälight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- iltahämäräevening twilight
- hämäräfaint light; dubious medium
- epäselväfaint light; dubious medium
French demi-jour, crépuscule
- demi-jourlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crépusculelight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crépusculeevening twilight
- entre chien et loupevening twilight
- pénombrefaint light; dubious medium
- brumesfaint light; dubious medium
German Zwielicht, Dämmerung
- Zwielichtlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- Dämmerunglight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- Dämmerungevening twilight
- Abenddämmerungevening twilight
- Zwielichtfaint light; dubious medium
- Halbdunkelfaint light; dubious medium
Greek σούρουπο, σούρουπο
- σούρουπο (soúroupo)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- σούρουπο (soúroupo)evening twilight
- λυκόφως (lykófos)evening twilight
- μισοσκόταδο (misoskótado)faint light; dubious medium
Hebrew דִּימְדּוּמִים, בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת
- דִּימְדּוּמִיםlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹתevening twilight
Hindi गोधूलि, झुटपुटा
- गोधूलि (godhūli)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- झुटपुटा (jhuṭpuṭā)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- सांध्य प्रकाश (sāndhya prakāś)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- द्वाभा (dvābhā)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- धुंधलका (dhundhalkā)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- संध्या (sandhyā)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- साँझ (sāñjh)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- गोधूलि (godhūli)evening twilight
- झुटपुटा (jhuṭpuṭā)evening twilight
- सांध्य प्रकाश (sāndhya prakāś)evening twilight
- द्वाभा (dvābhā)evening twilight
- धुंधलका (dhundhalkā)evening twilight
Hungarian szürkület, félhomály
- szürkületlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- félhomálylight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- pirkadatlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- pirkadáslight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- virradatlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- alkonyatlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Icelandic ljósaskipti, húm
- ljósaskiptilight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- húmlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- rökkurlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Indonesian senja kala
- senja kalaevening twilight
Irish coimheascar, clapsholas
- coimheascarlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- clapsholaslight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Italian crepuscolo, crepuscolo
- crepuscololight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crepuscoloevening twilight
- crepuscolofaint light; dubious medium
- penombrafaint light; dubious medium
Japanese 夕暮れ, 黄昏
- 夕暮れ (yūgure)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- 黄昏light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- 薄明かり (usuakari)faint light; dubious medium
Korean 어스름, 황혼
- 어스름 (eoseureum)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- 황혼 (hwanghon)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- 황혼 (hwanghon)evening twilight
- 땅거미 (ttanggeomi)evening twilight
- 어스름 (eoseureum)evening twilight
Latin crepusculum, crepusculum
- crepusculumlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crepusculumevening twilight
Latvian krēsla, krēsla
- krēslalight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- krēslaevening twilight
- krēslafaint light; dubious medium
Lithuanian sutema, saulėlydis
- sutemalight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- saulėlydisevening twilight
Malay teja, senja kala
- tejalight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- senja kalaevening twilight
Māori ririko, rikoriko
- ririkolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- rikorikolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- matarikorikolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- mārikorikolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- māhinaevening twilight
- ririkoevening twilight
Norwegian Bokmål skumring, tussmørke
- skumringlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- tussmørkelight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Polish zmierzch, zmrok
- zmierzchlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- zmroklight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- półmrokfaint light; dubious medium
- półzmrokfaint light; dubious medium
Portuguese crepúsculo, lusco-fusco
- crepúsculolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- lusco-fuscolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crepúsculoevening twilight
- penumbrafaint light; dubious medium
- meia-luzfaint light; dubious medium
Romanian amurg, crepuscul
- amurglight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crepuscullight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- zorilight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- amurgevening twilight
- crepusculevening twilight
- crepusculfaint light; dubious medium
Russian су́мерки, су́мрак
- су́мерки (súmerki)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- су́мрак (súmrak)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- су́мерки (súmerki)evening twilight
- су́мерки (súmerki)faint light; dubious medium
- су́мрак (súmrak)faint light; dubious medium
- полумра́к (polumrák)faint light; dubious medium
- потёмки (potjómki)faint light; dubious medium
Scottish Gaelic ciaradh, eadar-sholas
- ciaradhlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- eadar-sholaslight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- ciaradhevening twilight
- eadar-sholasevening twilight
Slovak súmrak, šero
- súmraklight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- šerofaint light; dubious medium
Spanish crepúsculo, crepúsculo
- crepúsculolight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- crepúsculoevening twilight
- penumbrafaint light; dubious medium
Swedish tveljus, skymning
- tveljuslight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- skymninglight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- gryninglight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- skumraskfaint light; dubious medium
Tagalog takipsilim, dapithapon
- takipsilimlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- dapithaponlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- bukang-liwaywaylight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- dapithaponevening twilight
- takipsilimevening twilight
Tamil மெல்லொளி, மாலை மெல்லொளி
- மெல்லொளி (melloḷi)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- மாலை மெல்லொளி (mālai melloḷi)evening twilight
- மெல்லொளி (melloḷi)faint light; dubious medium
Thai สนธยา
- สนธยา (sǒn-tá-yaa)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Turkish tan, alacakaranlık
- tanlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- alacakaranlıklight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Ukrainian су́тінки, при́смерк
- су́тінки (sútinky)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- при́смерк (prýsmerk)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Urdu شَفَق
- شَفَق (śafaq)light before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Vietnamese hoàng hôn, bình minh
- hoàng hônlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
- bình minhlight before rising and after the setting of the Sun
Welsh cyfnos, llwydnos
- cyfnosevening twilight
- llwydnosevening twilight
Cite this entry
APA
twilight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twilight
MLA
“twilight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twilight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “twilight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twilight.
Source: twilight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.