Nightish

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the essence or qualities that define the time after sunset
2. Having qualities or aspects typical of the period after dusk and before dawn
3. Displaying features or attributes that are reminiscent of nighttime conditions

Etymology: "Nightish" is a plain formation: the noun "night" with the suffix "-ish", which in Old English was used to mean "of the nature of" or "somewhat like" the base word, as in "reddish" or "childish." The adjective came into English in its Middle English form "nyghtyssh," so it has been part of the language for several centuries, not a modern coinage. The suffix is the more interesting half of the word. "-ish" began as a native English ending, an adjective-forming element that attached freely to nouns and adjectives to describe a quality or resemblance. Because it could be stuck onto almost any word, it produced a steady stream of terms like "nightish" that describe a condition loosely rather than precisely, which is why the word sounds approximate: something nightish is more like night than it is night itself, neither fully dark nor fully day.

Synonyms: nocturnal, darkened

Antonyms: daylight, bright