What does "afterglow" mean?
The glow seen in the sky after sunset.
Afterglow
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The glow seen in the sky after sunset.
- Grammar: afterglow is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: afterbirth, afterclap, aftercrop, aftereffect.
- Useful contrasts: darkness, extinction, fading memory.
- Usage evidence: In the late 1940s, George Gamow, a Russian-American physicist, conceived of the Big Bang theory as we know it today. He and his colleagues proposed that if a big bang had occurred, it would have left an afterglow, traces of background radiation that would still be present.
How to use "afterglow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "afterglow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "afterglow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "afterglow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "afterglow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "afterglow" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "afterbirth" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "afterglow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The glow seen in the sky after sunset. countable, uncountable
"That the sunset in Egypt is gorgeous, every body knows; but I, for one, was not aware that there is a renewal of beauty, some time after the sun has departed and left all grey. […] everything begins to brighten again in twenty minutes;—the hills are again purple or golden,—the sands orange,—the palms verdant,—the moonlight on the water, a pale green ripple on a lilac surface: and this after-glow continues for ten minutes, when it slowly fades away."
- 2 the pleasure of remembering some pleasant event wordnet
- 3 The light emitted by an incandescent object while cooling. countable, uncountable
"1984, Paul Auster (as Paul Benjamin), Squeeze Play, London: Faber & Faber, 1991, Chapter 19, p. 176, Nothing will matter to you more than that [base]ball. It will hold you so completely that when you at last file out and return to the normal world, it will stay with you like the afterglow of a flashbulb that’s gone off in your eyes."
- 4 a glow sometimes seen in the sky after sunset wordnet
- 5 The light emitted by a phosphor after excitation. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The mildly euphoric feeling experienced after a pleasurable experience, especially after an orgasm or drug-induced high. countable, uncountable
"[…] he threw down his book, stretched his legs towards the embers in the grate, and clasped his hands at the back of his head, in that agreeable afterglow of excitement when thought lapses from examination of a specific object into a suffusive sense of its connections with all the rest of our existence […]"
- 7 An afterparty. countable, uncountable
"There's an afterglow with singing after the evening worship."
Antonyms
Example
"In the late 1940s, George Gamow, a Russian-American physicist, conceived of the Big Bang theory as we know it today. He and his colleagues proposed that if a big bang had occurred, it would have left an afterglow, traces of background radiation that would still be present."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "afterglow"?
Common synonyms include: afterbirth, afterclap, aftercrop, aftereffect, aftergrowth, afterimage.
How do you use "afterglow" in a sentence?
In the late 1940s, George Gamow, a Russian-American physicist, conceived of the Big Bang theory as we know it today. He and his colleagues proposed that if a big bang had occurred, it would have left an afterglow, traces of background radiation that would still be present.
Etymology
From after- + glow.