sundown

American  

[suhn-doun] / ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

sundowns plural

1. sunset, especially the time of sunset.

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verb (used without object)

1. Psychiatry. (especially of dementia patients) to experience confusion or hallucinations late in the day or at night, likely as a result of strange surroundings, drug effects, decreased sensory input, or reduction of oxygen supply to the brain.

sundown British  

/ ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

1. another name for sunset

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sundowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sundown

First recorded in 1610–20; sun + down ¹

Example Sentences

Long Beach’s R&B savant Giveon kept his Coachella stage to a monochrome motif during his sundown set.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Ali al-Khazali lives in Baghdad and spent $2,000 recently on Chinese-made rooftop solar panels plus a battery to store electricity after sundown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“If the conflict abates by Monday sundown, coinciding with the start of the Jewish holiday Purim, the oil price spike could prove short-lived,” Kaneva wrote.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

His daily broadcasts last from sunrise to sundown, and they often eclipse a million cumulative viewers.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Bep and Miep went grocery shopping with our ration coupons, Father worked on our blackout screens, we scrubbed the kitchen floor, and were once again busy from sunup to sundown.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• dusk