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Dim vs. Twilight — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Dim and Twilight

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Definitions

Dim

Lacking in brightness
A dim room.

Twilight

Twilight on Earth is the illumination of the lower atmosphere when the Sun is not directly visible because it is below the horizon. Twilight is produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, illuminating the lower atmosphere so that Earth's surface is neither completely lit nor completely dark.

Dim

Emitting only a small amount of light; faint
A dim light bulb.

Twilight

The diffused light from the sky during the early evening or early morning when the sun is below the horizon and its light is refracted by the earth's atmosphere.

Dim

Lacking luster; dull or subdued
Dim, faded colors.
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Twilight

The time of the day when the sun is just below the horizon, especially the period between sunset and dark.

Dim

Faintly or unclearly perceived; indistinct
A dim figure in the distance.
Dim, far-off sounds.

Twilight

Dim or diffused illumination.

Dim

Lacking sharpness or clarity; vague
A dim recollection.
Only a dim idea of how the machine worked.

Twilight

A period or condition of decline following growth, glory, or success
In the twilight of his life.
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Dim

Weak or diminished; feeble
Dim eyesight.
A dim hope.

Twilight

A state of ambiguity or obscurity.

Dim

Negative, unfavorable, or disapproving
A dim future in store.
Takes a dim view of gambling.

Twilight

The soft light in the sky seen before the rising and (especially) after the setting of the sun, occasioned by the illumination of the earth’s atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.
I could just make out her face in the twilight.

Dim

Dull or slow-witted
"[She] had always seemed rather dim and vacant" (Mary V. Dearborn).

Twilight

The time when this light is visible; the period between daylight and darkness.
It was twilight by the time I got back home.

Dim

To make or become dim.

Twilight

(astronomy) The time when the sun is less than 18° below the horizon.

Dim

A parking light on a motor vehicle.

Twilight

Any faint light through which something is seen; an in-between or fading condition.
The twilight of one's life

Dim

A low beam.

Twilight

Pertaining to or resembling twilight; faintly illuminated; obscure.

Dim

(Archaic) Dusk.

Twilight

To illuminate faintly.

Dim

Not bright or colorful.
The lighting was too dim for me to make out his facial features.

Twilight

The light perceived before the rising, and after the setting, of the sun, or when the sun is less than 18° below the horizon, occasioned by the illumination of the earth's atmosphere by the direct rays of the sun and their reflection on the earth.

Dim

(colloquial) Not smart or intelligent.
He may be a bit dim, but he's not entirely stupid.

Twilight

Faint light; a dubious or uncertain medium through which anything is viewed.
As when the sun . . . from behind the moon,In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds.
The twilight of probability.

Dim

Indistinct, hazy or unclear.
His vision grew dimmer as he aged.

Twilight

Seen or done by twilight.

Dim

Disapproving, unfavorable: rarely used outside the phrase take a dim view of.

Twilight

Imperfectly illuminated; shaded; obscure.
O'er the twilight groves and dusky caves.

Dim

(archaic) Dimness.

Twilight

The time of day immediately following sunset;
He loved the twilight
They finished before the fall of night

Dim

(transitive) To make something less bright.
He dimmed the lights and put on soft music.

Twilight

The diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon but its rays are refracted by the atmosphere of the earth

Dim

(intransitive) To become darker.
The lights dimmed briefly when the air conditioning was turned on.

Twilight

A condition of decline following successes;
In the twilight of the empire

Dim

To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct

Twilight

Lighted by or as if by twilight;
The dusky night rides down the sky/And ushers in the morn
The twilight glow of the sky
A boat on a twilit river

Dim

To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of.

Dim

Not bright or distinct; wanting luminousness or clearness; obscure in luster or sound; dusky; darkish; obscure; indistinct; overcast; tarnished.
The dim magnificence of poetry.
How is the gold become dim!
I never sawThe heavens so dim by day.
Three sleepless nights I passed in sounding on,Through words and things, a dim and perilous way.

Dim

Of obscure vision; not seeing clearly; hence, dull of apprehension; of weak perception; obtuse.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow.
The understanding is dim.

Dim

To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct; to take away the luster of; to darken; to dull; to obscure; to eclipse.
A king among his courtiers, who dims all his attendants.
Now set the sun, and twilight dimmed the ways.

Dim

To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of.
Her starry eyes were dimmed with streaming tears.

Dim

To grow dim.

Dim

Switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam

Dim

Become or make darker;
The screen darkend
He darkened the colors by adding brown

Dim

Become dim or lusterless;
The lights dimmed and the curtain rose

Dim

Make dim or lusterless;
Time had dimmed the silver

Dim

Make dim by comparison or conceal

Dim

Become vague or indistinct;
The distinction between the two theories blurred

Dim

Lacking in light; not bright or harsh;
A dim light beside the bed
Subdued lights and soft music

Dim

Lacking clarity or distinctness;
A dim figure in the distance
Only a faint recollection
Shadowy figures in the gloom
Saw a vague outline of a building through the fog
A few wispy memories of childhood

Dim

Made dim or less bright;
The dimmed houselights brought a hush of anticipation
Dimmed headlights
We like dimmed lights when we have dinner

Dim

Offering little or no hope;
The future looked black
Prospects were bleak
Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult
Took a dim view of things

Dim

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity;
So dense he never understands anything I say to him
Never met anyone quite so dim
Although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick
Dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
He was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
Worked with the slow students

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