twilight
gb/twˈaɪlˌaɪt/ us/twˈaɪlˌaɪt/
B1
English
~ 4100
szürkület, alkonyévek, alkonyát éli
NOUN
B1
1
szürkület
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] happens in the twilight
We took a walk in the cool twilight.
Sétáltunk egyet a hűvös szürkületben.
The mountains looked beautiful in the twilight glow.
A hegyek gyönyörűek voltak a szürkületi fényben.
Bats began to appear as twilight deepened.
In the twilight, the city lights started to shine.
They sat on the porch watching the twilight fade into night.
Learner examples
I like to read in the twilight.
Szeretek szürkületben olvasni.
We saw deer in the field at twilight.
Szarvasokat láttunk a mezőn szürkületkor.
Twilight comes after the sun goes down.
The sky is pink in the twilight.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'twilight' with 'sunset'. Sunset is the moment when the sun disappears, while twilight is the period of dim light afterward (or before sunrise).
Meaning
Light after sunset or before sunrise
Collocations
in the twilight
|twilight hours
|twilight sky
|twilight glow
Synonyms
dusk (Refers specifically to the period just after sunset, whereas 'twilight' can also include dawn.)
|
gloaming (A literary synonym for twilight, less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
daylight (The bright light of day, opposite to the dim light of twilight.)
|
midnight (The darkest part of night, contrasting with twilight's faint light.)
Themes
nature
|time
|daily life
|weather
Definition
The weak light in the sky just after the sun goes down or just before it comes up.
The soft, faint light in the sky when the sun is just below the horizon, occurring after sunset or before sunrise.
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
2
alkonyévek
C1
alkonyát éli
C1
Usage pattern:
the twilight of [something]
He spent his twilight years writing memoirs.
Alkonyéveit emlékiratai megírásával töltötte.
The empire was in its twilight, soon to fall.
A birodalom az alkonyát élte, és hamarosan elbukott.
She found peace in the twilight of her life.
In the twilight of his career, he mentored young artists.
Learner examples
He is happy in his twilight years.
Boldogan éli alkonyéveit.
The building is old and in its twilight.
Az épület öreg, és már az alkonyát éli.
She works less now in the twilight of her career.
Common mistake:
Learners may take this figurative meaning literally as a time of day; context usually makes it clear it refers to a later stage in life or history.
Meaning
Final stage before ending
Collocations
twilight years
|twilight of his career
|in the twilight of her life
Synonyms
sunset (Can be used metaphorically for decline, similar to 'twilight', but more poetic.)
|
decline (A more direct and less poetic term for a gradual loss of strength or importance.)
Antonyms
prime (Refers to the period of greatest strength or success, opposite to twilight's late stage.)
Themes
life
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The last period of someone's life or of something's time before it ends.
The last part of a person's life, career, or existence of something, often suggesting decline before ending.
Grammar
Dictionary form
twilight
IPA
GB/twˈaɪlˌaɪt/
US/twˈaɪlˌaɪt/
Syllables & stress
twi - light (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (twi)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: twilight
- Plural: twilight, twilights
Word family
Expressions
in the twilight of [something]
1/ˈɪn ðə twˈaɪlˌaɪt əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
literary
Final stage before end
At the last part of something before it ends, like a career or era.
Examples
- He wrote his best work in the twilight of his career.
- The kingdom fell in the twilight of its power.
twilight years
1/twˈaɪlˌaɪt jˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
Later years of life
The last years of a person's life, usually after retirement.
Examples
- They moved to a small town for their twilight years.
- She enjoys gardening in her twilight years.