Skip to main content
dusky

dusky

6 4.7
Dim light like the sky just after the sun goes down
  • adjective
  • /ˈdʌski/
translation icon : crepuscular
  • Red's voice was tense; his face glistened whitely in the dusky light of the hut.
  • dusky light
  • dusky sky
  • dusky evening

And then my bottoms are these pink, like dusky pink joggers, which are from Abercrombie.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • We sink into cool, dusky water along the island's rocky foundation.

    Academic text (2009)
  • In the painting as Fred envisioned it, the woman wore dusky yellow.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • And it's just such a nice kind of dusky pink colour.

  • The rock turned from soft red to rose to deep amber and finally to dusky purple.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I could no longer distinguish what was happening in the dusky corners.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Way up in the dusky sky, a small plane wafted above the square.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The water reflected the dusky mauve of the sky, the hulks of the nearby islands.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Light filtered through the tan canvas of the tent, creating a dusky gloom inside.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The sun had deserted us, leaving dusky, warm air that smelled of seaweed and gasoline.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The dusky sky signaled the approach of night, casting a gentle shadow over the landscape.

Synonyms

dark
vsdusky
1.0

With little or no light and not bright

is about evening-like soft lighting rather than total absence of light
shadowy
vsdusky
18 3.3

A place that is partly dark because of shade

focuses on local shade and obscurity rather than evening illumination
gloomy
vsdusky
16 2.3

Dark and not well lit so a place feels sad

describes evening-like lighting without the sense of depression or fear
darkish
vsdusky
1 2.0

A little less light in color than usual

is linked to evening light appearance rather than general low brightness
crepuscular
vsdusky
  • Literature
1 9.9

Soft dim light seen at twilight

focuses on appearing lit by evening light rather than technical relation
darksome
vsdusky
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Dark and gloomy in a way that makes you feel uncertain or afraid

focuses on visual evening light not on mystery or mood
twilit
vsdusky
8.4

Having dim, soft light like the sky just after sunset

emphasizes looking as if lit by evening rather than just being dim
dusky-colored
vsdusky
5.5

Having a soft dark color like the sky at dusk

refers to color shade rather than specifically to evening light
gloomful
vsdusky
  • Archaic
7.8

Dark and sad in a way that makes you feel unhappy

shares low light but lacks the strong depressing emotional tone

Antonyms

235 1.0

Having a strong, vivid color that is easy to notice

64 4.1

Shining or glowing brightly, often seeming very happy

Compounds

1 8.2

A large slender blue-grey shark that lives in warm coastal waters worldwide

A small animal like a frog with dark brown or grey skin that lives in damp forests

Having a soft dark color like the sky at dusk

A North American wood rat with dark feet that builds large stick nests

A large rat active at night with gray brown fur and pale feet from western North America

How Dim

dark
1.0
shadowy
5 5.1
dim
62 1.0
dusky
6 4.7
twilit
8.4

Surface Forms

dusky positive

Morphology

dusky = dusk (transparent) = dusk + y

Direct adjectival formation from 'dusk' yields 'having the quality of dusk' (dim or twilight-like), which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Dusky comes from the simple word dusk, which means 'twilight' or the dim light at evening, and the ending -y means 'like' or 'full of'. So something dusky looks soft and shadowy, like the light of dusk.