Join free

twilight zone

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

twilight zone¹

Where it comes from

Because such a zone (in the literal sense of the term) is twilit; see twilight § Etymology.

noun twilight zones

  1. A moving line that divides the daylit side and the dark night side of a planetary body.

    Similar: terminator

  2. broadly, figuratively A region or context located in between others and therefore not subject to their norms. As to this right, therefore, the people have expressly created a twilight zone, in which neither nation nor state can act.

    Similar: shadowland

  3. A deteriorating area surrounding a central business district. Geographically speaking, the twilight zone encompasses those areas that lie between the central business district and the first ring of suburban shopping centers, many of which are comparatively obsolete.
  4. Synonym of mesopelagic zone (“the part of the ocean where there is very minimal light, located below the photic epipelagic zone but above the aphotic bathypelagic zone.”).

    Similar: mesopelagic zone

verb twilight zones · twilight zoning · twilight zoned

  1. idiomatic, intransitive, transitive To put or place into an indeterminate position; to be in an ambiguous, undetermined, or improper context. Sometimes I think she's really a gym teacher twilight-zoned into the corridors of government. I'm always surprised to see that it's a gold, clipless Cross pen she's carrying and not a gym whistle.
  2. idiomatic, transitive To cause to daydream or zone out; to cause to lose attention to one's surroundings. "I've been distant and into myself all night," I said. "The kids say I get twilight zoned."

twilight zone²

Where it comes from

From the anthology television series The Twilight Zone, first aired in 1959, whose name was inspired by the astrophysical sense.

noun twilight zones

  1. figuratively A region in which surreal, supernatural, or fantastic events occur. Oh, I can't talk right now, Duke. I'm in the twilight zone.

verb twilight zones · twilight zoning · twilight zoned

  1. idiomatic, intransitive To experience or perceive something bizarre or fantastic. Then a gnome like white haired lady, bent like a human question mark, lurched toward me and asked if I was the mailman. [...] I was Twilight Zoning.
  2. idiomatic, intransitive To behave or occur in a confusing or unexpected manner. The service is likely from a bad twilight zone episode. [...] I did get what I required but I had to ask lots of questions as the communication was Twilight Zoning often.

Translations

Every language

noun region or context located in between others

DeutschGrauzone

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"twilight zone." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/twilight%20zone. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

twilight zone. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/twilight%20zone

Chicago

"twilight zone." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/twilight%20zone.

BibTeX
@misc{twilight_zone_2026,
  title = {twilight zone},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/twilight%20zone},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}