nightfall

American  

[nahyt-fawl] / ˈnaɪtˌfɔl /

noun

1. the coming of night; the end of daylight; dusk.

   Synonyms:

   sundown, twilight

---

nightfall British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌfɔːl /

noun

1. the approach of darkness; dusk

---

Etymology

Origin of nightfall

First recorded in 1605–15; night + fall

Explanation

Nightfall is the part of a day when the sun goes down and evening begins. In suburban neighborhoods, parents often call their kids to come home for dinner at nightfall. It gets dark at nightfall, marking the end of the day. You can also all this time dusk or twilight. If your dad warns you to be home from your bike ride by nightfall, he wants you home before sunset. Nightfall has a bit of an old fashioned, poetic sound, and it dates from the early eighteenth century, a combination of night, from the Old English niht, or "darkness," and fall, or "come suddenly."

Example Sentences

Nightfall was hours away and he didn’t know where he was going to sleep.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2024

They call the stone Nightfall, and say is documented in poems, songs and dances that stretch back five generations.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2022

Not just any mermaid, but “a real authentic mermaid with a splash tail,” says Angelica Bridges, spokesperson for the Nightfall Group.

From Washington Post • Oct. 30, 2022

Nightfall in the desert is failing to cool things off much.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2022

Nightfall would be on them soon, and the red god must be fed.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• dusk
• sundown
• sunset