1
as in dusk
a time or place of little or no light
lovers would often retreat to the gloaming of the park's many secluded recesses to steal a kiss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in night
the time from when the sun begins to set to the onset of total darkness
with the gloaming came the familiar call of the whip-poor-will
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Recent Examples of gloaming
The mirror’s surface turned suddenly iridescent, like an oil slick beneath a gloaming.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps swallow-tail bee-eaters, Africa openbill storks, and Burchell’s starlings, their stunning plumage flashing blue-green in the pink-gold gloaming: such sightings lend instant credence to the adage that Africa will make a birder out of anyone.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
There is an excellent chance that one of the world’s two best golfers will be sliding his arms into a green jacket in the sweet gloaming of Sunday evening just outside the Augusta National clubhouse.
—Jason Sobel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Just across the street was a second landfill, belonging to a Texas company called Weeks Environmental, whose own black mountain—nearly ten million additional barrels of waste—rose into the Texas gloaming.
—Justin Nobel, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
So imagine everyone’s delight when Bennifer reemerged from the gloaming after Lopez split with fiance Alex Rodriguez.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 17 July 2022
The game down on the field seems to be played in the gloaming.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2022
Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Perhaps swallow-tail bee-eaters, Africa openbill storks, and Burchell’s starlings, their stunning plumage flashing blue-green in the pink-gold gloaming: such sightings lend instant credence to the adage that Africa will make a birder out of anyone.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
There is an excellent chance that one of the world’s two best golfers will be sliding his arms into a green jacket in the sweet gloaming of Sunday evening just outside the Augusta National clubhouse.
—Jason Sobel, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Just across the street was a second landfill, belonging to a Texas company called Weeks Environmental, whose own black mountain—nearly ten million additional barrels of waste—rose into the Texas gloaming.
—Justin Nobel, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
So imagine everyone’s delight when Bennifer reemerged from the gloaming after Lopez split with fiance Alex Rodriguez.
—Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 17 July 2022
The game down on the field seems to be played in the gloaming.
—Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloaming
Noun
-
Schools and workplaces open at night, construction sites buzz in the small hours under massive floodlights, and outdoor recreation takes place in the twilights of dawn and dusk.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The boat, Nazila 05, departed from a port on Taliabu island in North Maluku province just after dusk Sunday bound for Kema in North Sulawesi province, Rizal said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The winner will advance to play Connecticut or Illinois for the title Monday night.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Her daughter raced home crying and her parents promptly reported the incident to Sacramento police that night.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While the lunar far side will be only partially lit during the flyby, the lighting is set to cast long shadows that highlight craters, ridges, and slopes in greater detail.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot.—
Ryan Brennan
April 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Estrada Juarez turned the camera to show the sunset.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Camouflaged in a valley speckled with just a handful of villas and farmsteads, the 16 stone houses overlook the naked dunes and sensational sunsets of Livadia Bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
New Haven’s Crown Street corridor flips the switch after dark, with Yale energy pouring into a compact downtown stacked with Irish pubs, dance spots, and late-night pizza joints that double as unofficial after-parties.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
-
From effortlessly cool Proenza Schouler to playful Tory Burch; from sparkling Prada to sultry lace Ulla Johnson, this dress code is all about matching the glittering lights of a high-energy metropolis after dark.—
Kerry Pieri,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
During the final week of March, Venus began setting after the end of astronomical twilight, that is, in a completely dark sky, a circumstance that will persist until late August.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
By late next week, a small comet, fresh off a harrowingly close encounter with the Sun, could emerge into the evening twilight and become easily visible in the hour after sunset, sporting a thin, straight tail.—
Tony Hoffman,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Later in the day, a live video feed from a camera mounted on one of Orion's solar wings showed the moon dead ahead, a tiny gray marble suspended in blackness.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The film's opening two minutes play out in complete blackness, a picture-less overture showcasing legendary James Bond composer John Barry's majestic score.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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If your entire evening is spent on a ball field or on the go, loading food up and taking it with you is another practical option.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gloaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloaming. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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