twilight

twilight — noun

1. the soft, dim light in the sky just after the sun goes down, before the night be

1.名詞B1
釋義

the soft, dim light in the sky just after the sun goes down, before the night becomes fully dark

例句

Quan stood by the fence and watched twilight spread across the valley.

twilight as dim evening light before darkness

The old barn looked peaceful in the soft twilight of early evening.

同義詞
  • dusk

    focuses on the darker end of the transition, when details become hard to see

  • gloaming

    a poetic or literary term for the same period, with a romantic tone

  • evening

    a broader time range that includes twilight but extends later into the night

反義詞
  • dawn

    the period of soft light in the morning, marking the start of day rather than its end

文法句型

at twilight

in the twilight

twilight of [period]

用法筆記

Use 'at twilight' to refer to the time of day ('The gates close at twilight'), and 'in the twilight' to describe the quality of the light itself ('The hills glowed in the twilight'). 'Dusk' is a near synonym but focuses more on the increasing darkness; 'twilight' emphasises the dim, soft light.

常見錯誤

❌I went for a walk in twilight.
✅I went for a walk at twilight.
💡Use 'at twilight' when referring to the time period; use 'in the twilight' only when describing the light itself.

2. the last stage in the history of something, marked by a slow loss of power, infl

2.名詞B2
釋義

the last stage in the history of something, marked by a slow loss of power, influence, or popularity

例句

The fall of the capital marked the twilight of the ancient dynasty.

twilight of [sth] = final weakening stage

Heather spent her twilight years teaching music in a small village.

collocation: twilight years

同義詞
  • decline

    more direct and factual; 'twilight' is more metaphorical and literary

  • end

    neutral and final; 'twilight' suggests a gradual, drawn-out process before the end

  • sunset

    shares the light-metaphor but often implies a natural, dignified conclusion

反義詞
  • dawn

    used metaphorically for the beginning or early flourishing of something

  • rise

    a period of increasing power or success

文法句型

the twilight of [something]

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'of' to identify what is in decline, or used with 'years' or 'days' for the final period of a person's life or career. The metaphor draws on the fading light at the end of the day — the thing described is not yet gone, but its best time is over.

常見錯誤

❌The twilight of his life was very happy.
✅The twilight of his career was difficult.
💡'Twilight' carries a sense of fading or decline; it is not a neutral term for 'later years.' Use it only when some loss of strength or importance is implied.

3. an unusual situation in which something belongs partly to one category and partl

3.名詞C1
釋義

an unusual situation in which something belongs partly to one category and partly to another, making it difficult to describe or define exactly

例句

The novel takes place in a strange twilight zone between dreams and reality.

collocation: twilight zone

Yara lived in a twilight world, no longer a child but not yet an adult.

twilight world = intermediate state

同義詞
  • limbo

    suggests being stuck or forgotten in an uncertain state; stronger sense of helplessness

  • borderline

    more clinical or technical; less evocative than 'twilight'

  • grey area

    common collocation for moral or legal uncertainty; less mysterious in tone

反義詞
  • certainty

    a state in which boundaries are clear

  • clarity

    an absence of ambiguity or confusion

文法句型

a twilight between [X] and [Y]

twilight zone/world/area

用法筆記

Often paired with 'zone' (popularised by the TV series 'The Twilight Zone') to label any ambiguous borderline situation in science, law, or psychology. Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense does not refer to time or light — it describes a quality of uncertainty or in-betweenness.

twilight — adjective