afterglow

[af-ter-gloh, ahf-]

noun

1. the glow frequently seen in the sky after sunset; afterlight.

2. a second or secondary glow, as in heated metal before it ceases to become incandescent.

3. the pleasant remembrance of a past experience, glory, etc..

   She basked in the afterglow of her stage triumph.

4. phosphorescence.

afterglow

/ ˈɑːftəˌɡləʊ /

noun

1. the glow left after a light has disappeared, such as that sometimes seen after sunset

2. the glow of an incandescent metal after the source of heat has been removed

3. physics luminescence persisting on the screen of a cathode-ray tube or in a gas-discharge tube after the power supply has been disconnected

4. a trace, impression, etc, of past emotion, brilliance, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of afterglow¹

First recorded in 1870–75; after + glow

Example Sentences

It’s like a never-ending sunset, casting an endless afterglow on the land below.

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The dazzle of their outfits eclipsed the afterglow of the light.

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The afterglow of the unprecedented second state visit can hardly do harm.

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Even though for the wearers of the gowns, post-prom may be a chance to bask in the afterglow of June's event, those making them are back at work.

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Indeed, in the afterglow of the franchise’s first full-season title in more than three decades, the turbulent path getting there became easy to forget.

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Related Words

• bloom 
• blossom 
• brilliance 
• glare 
• gleam 
• glimmer 
• glitter 
• intensity 
• light 
• radiance 
• ray 
• warmth