[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/dusky/)

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# dusky

adjective (dusky, duskier, duskiest)

«dusky» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Rather dark, as at dusk, the time when evening turns into night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#m1)
2. Dark or dim in colour: «dusky pink», «dusky blue». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#m2)
3. (old, now offensive) Used in old books to describe people with dark skin; this use is hurtful today and should not be used. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#m3)

### In the lessons

A describing word in nature lessons and stories for evening light, shadows and soft colours. Animals are named with it: the dusky dolphin, dusky shark. In older books, including some of Kipling's, words about skin colour are used in ways we now know are wrong.

### Examples

- The dusky sky was full of bats. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x1)
- We walked home through the dusky lane. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x2)
- She wore a dusky pink dress. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x3)
- The dusky dolphin lives near New Zealand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x4)
- The room grew dusky as the sun went down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x5)
- Moths came out in the dusky garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x6)
- At last the sun went down behind the pine tops, and it was cool and dusky in the great wood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/#x7)

### Note

From «dusk» + «-y». Use it for light and colours. The old use about people's skin is racist today: if you read it in an old book, know it is an outdated way of speaking.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dusky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dusky/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dusky» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dusky.html) on Mova free.