afterglow

[af-ter-gloh, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌgloʊ, ˈɑf- /

NOUN

glow

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bloom blossom brilliance glare gleam glimmer glitter intensity light radiance ray warmth

STRONG

blush effulgence flush gusto heat incandescence lambency luminosity passion phosphorescence splendor vividness

Antonyms

STRONGEST

dark dullness

NOUN

luster

Synonyms

STRONGEST

brightness brilliance glitter glow sheen shimmer sparkle

STRONG

brilliancy burnish dazzle effulgence glaze gleam glint incandescence iridescence lambency luminousness opalescence polish radiance refulgence resplendence

WEAK

candescence

Antonyms

STRONGEST

darkness dullness

WEAK

matte

NOUN

twilight

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dusk sunset

STRONG

decline dimness ebb end evening eventide gloaming half-light night nightfall sundown

WEAK

afterlight crepuscular light early evening last phase late afternoon

Antonyms

WEAK

dawn daybreak sunrise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We lived in the missions’ afterglow, with orange-flavored Tang, syndicated “Star Trek” reruns, and “Star Wars” filling in for actual lunar landings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The couple will still be on a high after all the festivities and luxuriating in the afterglow of the love — and cash — bestowed upon them.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The cosmic microwave background, which is the faint afterglow left behind by the Big Bang, contains valuable information about the early universe.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Whether they take his advice literally remains to be seen, but the celebrations were significant in the afterglow of victory.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

This cosmic background radiation was the afterglow of the big bang.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

afterglow

Example Sentences

Related Words