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sundown

American  
[suhn-daun] / ˈsʌnˌdaʊn /

noun

  • sundowns
    plural
  1. sunset, especially the time of sunset.


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

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of sundown

First recorded in 1610–20; sun + down 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Just after sundown, the Marías’ enigmatic leading lady, María Zardoya, emerged to perform songs from her nocturne solo project, Not for Radio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

His portfolio, taken together, suggests a particular interest in the invisible forces governing everyday life: particulates, sundown, industrial produce conglomerates.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Eid al-Fitr is held on the first day of the 10th month of the calendar marking the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to sundown.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Shortly after sundown on the second day of the war, electronic location transmissions from a China-flagged ship named Run Chen 2 stopped when it appeared to be approaching Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

“Perhaps it’s just as well we wait, then. Tomorrow at sundown is Fortuna’s Feast. By then, we must invade— Amazons or no. In the meantime, dig in! We set up camp here, on high ground.”

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

In her book, Sunsets, the Washington native presents dozens of beautifully captured sundowns, most taken during a three-year yachting trip around the world.

From Forbes ● Jun. 18, 2010

There were automobiles, traps, victorias, hay-racks, and "sundowns" standing all along the street in the vicinity of Hapgood's Grove.

From The Daughter of Anderson Crow by George Barr McCutcheon

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