dusky

American  

[duhs-kee] / ˈdʌs ki /

adjective

duskier, duskiest

1. somewhat dark; having little light; dim; shadowy.

2. Older Use: Chiefly Literary. having dark skin.

3. of a dark color.

4. gloomy; sad.

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dusky British  

/ ˈdʌskɪ /

adjective

1. dark in colour; swarthy or dark-skinned

2. dim

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Other Word Forms

• duskily adverb
• duskiness noun

Etymology

Origin of dusky

First recorded in 1550–60; dusk ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Even so, the kaleidoscope of tales and vignettes, and the blurring of the banal with the macabre, produces a dusky, dreamlike atmosphere that envelopes one’s thoughts like a fine mist.

From The Wall Street Journal

What I was really craving, I realized, was the dusky, spiced intensity of another fall icon: apple butter.

From Salon

Armed with shovels and heavy construction equipment, crews quickly collected fire debris from rugged cliffsides, dusky shorelines and sprawling burnt-out neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times

Preshow, the view from one’s seat is of being in a massive old opera house with dusky green drapes flanked by rows of orchestra seats.

From Los Angeles Times

A stunning "blood moon" was created as the Moon moved into Earth's shadow, gradually darkening before turning a dusky red.

From BBC

Related Words

• smoky