crepuscular

[ kri-puhs-kyuh-ler ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct.
2. Zoology. appearing or active in the twilight, as certain bats and insects.

crepuscular

/ krɪˈpʌskjʊlə /

adjective

1. of or like twilight; dim
2. (of certain insects, birds, and other animals) active at twilight or just before dawn

Word History and Origins

Origin of crepuscular¹

First recorded in 1660–70; crepuscule + -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of crepuscular¹

C17: from Latin crepusculum dusk, from creper dark

Example Sentences

Horns enter and the song begins to feel like a futuristic take on the crepuscular, narcotic blues of Mingus’s “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.”

From New York Times

The wolf ignites a crepuscular uncertainty about what’s fact and what’s fable, about how to differentiate between bared teeth and lolling tongue.

From Washington Post

The first, for bass flute and electronics, establishes a crepuscular atmosphere with spare, breathy gestures that grow more ragged, as if on the run.

From New York Times

As “Women Talking” opens, women assemble in the crepuscular shadows of the barn to decide what they will do: Nothing?

From Washington Post

Ben Stanton’s lighting, flashy and subdued, bathes the stage in crepuscular tones.

From New York Times

Related Words

• blurred
• blurry
• clouded
• dim
• dull
• dusky
• faint
• foggy
• frosty
• fuzzy
• misty
• murky
• mushy
• nebulous
• opaque
• overcast
• smoky
• soupy
• vague