dusky

[ duhs-kee ]

/ ˈdʌs ki /

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See synonyms for: dusky / duskily / duskiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, dusk·i·er, dusk·i·est.

somewhat dark; having little light; dim; shadowy.

Older Use: Chiefly Literary. having dark skin.

of a dark color.

gloomy; sad.

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Origin of dusky

First recorded in 1550–60; dusk² + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM dusky

dusk·i·ly, adverbdusk·i·ness, noun

Words nearby dusky

durzi, Du Sable, Duse, Dushanbe, dusk, dusky, dusky grouse, dusky shark, Dussek, Düsseldorf, dust

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dusky in a sentence

Sometimes, that motivation comes from knowing that your gear will keep you warm, dry, and safe on dusky roads or trails.
Runner-Up Review: The Cycling Gear That Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
In that part of Alaska and that time of year—barely 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle, late July—it never really gets dark, so I took advantage of the dusky half-light, driving until almost two in the morning.
The Thinking Man’s Guide to Hitting a Moose|jversteegh|October 21, 2021|Outside Online
He sometimes paints depictions of mountains, sunlight and even humans atop the dusky, ravaged surfaces.
In the galleries: Personal and political perspectives on the past|Mark Jenkins|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
The role of gravy was played by a dusky curry sweetened with onions and carrots.
Shibuya Eatery lives up to its name, bringing Tokyo street food to Adams Morgan|Tom Sietsema|October 30, 2020|Washington Post

The palette was gentle and pretty, focusing on rose pinks, lavenders, dusky mauve, mint, faun and pale lemon.
Burberry Prorsum Spring/ Summer 2014|Tom Sykes|September 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Unless by dusky hordes, you mean Wall Street banksters and well-tanned pols such as Speaker John Boehner.
Paul Krugman’s Nasty and Inane Attack on ‘Libertarian Populism’|Nick Gillespie|July 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lawrence mingled with the crowd, and as he read he felt a bulky envelope thrust in his hand and caught a glimpse of a dusky arm.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Once more she peered into the glass, shook out her skirts, then sought a door in a far and dusky corner.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
It had come on to rain, and the raw dampness mingled itself with the dusky uproar of the Strand.
Confidence|Henry James
When Tom Brown awoke, late in the day, he found Mafuta sitting at his feet with a broad grin on his dusky countenance.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
His banks were teeming with happy dusky figures and the smiling irrigated land was bright with fertility.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

British Dictionary definitions for dusky

dusky

/ (ˈdʌskɪ) /

adjective duskier or duskiest

dark in colour; swarthy or dark-skinned

dim

Derived forms of dusky

duskily, adverbduskiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dusky

Origin of dusky

OTHER WORDS FROM dusky

Words nearby dusky

Words related to dusky

How to use dusky in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dusky

Derived forms of dusky