half-light

American  

[haf-lahyt, hahf-] / ˈhæfˌlaɪt, ˈhɑf- /

noun

1. light that is about half its customary brightness, or that is partially dimmed or obscured.

   the half-light of early dawn; a room in half-light.

---

half-light British  

noun

1. a dim light, as at dawn or dusk

---

Etymology

Origin of half-light

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

In “Resurrection,” Rebecca Hall speaks for seven minutes, in the hushed half-light of an office after hours, to an intern she has been mentoring.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2023

Statues of Charlie Brown, Lucy and the ever-gleeful Snoopy stood amid redwoods in the half-light beyond the old Kress building.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2022

The room where the picture was taken is the "Eighteenth Century Room" and the photo has a rather painterly quality, with its rich red and gold colours, the King portrayed in half-light and half-shadow.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2022

Somaliland’s half-light existence as an unrecognized state has complicated its pandemic response.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2022

The things on Jon’s work table glint in this half-light: the flat blade of a chisel, the head of a hammer.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• dusk
• sunset