evening

American  

[eev-ning] / ˈiv nɪŋ /

noun

1. the latter part of the day and early part of the night.

   Synonyms:

   nightfall, gloaming, twilight, dusk, eventide

2. the period from sunset to bedtime.

   He spent the evenings reading.

3. Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. the time between noon and sunset, including the afternoon and twilight.

4. any concluding or declining period.

   the evening of life.

5. an evening's reception or entertainment.

   Their evenings at home were attended by the socially prominent.

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adjective

1. of or relating to evening.

   The evening sky shone with stars.

2. occurring or seen in the evening.

   the evening mist.

evening British  

/ ˈiːvnɪŋ /

noun

1. the latter part of the day, esp from late afternoon until nightfall

2. the latter or concluding period

   the evening of one's life

3. the early part of the night spent in a specified way

   an evening at the theatre

4. an entertainment, meeting, or reception held in the early part of the night

5. dialect the period between noon and sunset

6. (modifier) of, used, or occurring in the evening

   the evening papers

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evening Idioms  

1. see good day (evening).

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Etymology

Origin of evening

before 1000; Middle English; Old English ǣfnung, equivalent to ǣfn ( ian ) draw toward evening + -ung noun suffix

Explanation

The evening is the last part of the day before night falls, just when the sun is starting to go down. Most people eat dinner in the evening. The quiet, winding-down, ending part of a day is the evening — you might also call it "dusk" or "twilight." Some people define the evening as the time after dinner and before bedtime, and you can also use the word to talk figuratively about the final part of something else: "It was the evening of his life." The Old English root of evening is ǣfnung, "the time around sunset."

Example Sentences

The measure had secured under 47% of the vote as of Tuesday evening, compared with the opposition’s 53%

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Her count passed his on Sunday, and most every major outlet had called the race by Monday evening.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

Fans with the hottest ticket in town packed out the Andy Murray Arena on Tuesday evening to watch one of the greatest players of all time return to action.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

It requires a long commute and frequent evening calls with overseas teams that often run until 10:00 p.m.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

There was only one minor mystery about the evening, as far as I could see.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck