dark

1 of 3

adjective

darker; darkest
1
a
: devoid or partially devoid of light : not receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light
a dark room
b
: transmitting only a portion of light
dark glasses
2
a
: wholly or partially black
dark clothing
b
of a color : of low or very low lightness
dark blue
c
: being less light in color than other substances of the same kind
dark rum
3
a
: arising from or showing evil traits or desires : evil
the dark powers that lead to war
b
: dismal, gloomy
had a dark view of the future
c
: lacking knowledge or culture : unenlightened
a dark period in history
d
: relating to grim or depressing circumstances
dark humor
4
a
: not clear to the understanding
b
: not known or explored because of remoteness
the darkest reaches of the continent
5
: intense in color, coloring, or pigmentation : not light or fair
dark hair
a dark complexion
6
: secret
kept his plans dark
7
: possessing depth and richness
a dark voice
8
: closed to the public
the theater is dark in the summer
darkish adjective
darkly adverb

dark

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a place or time of little or no light : night, nightfall
get home before dark
b
: absence of light : darkness
afraid of the dark
2
a
: a color of low or very low lightness : a dark or deep color
usually plural
a painter who uses a lot of darks
b
darks plural : clothing that is dark in color
separated the darks and the lights before starting the laundry

dark

3 of 3

verb

darked; darking; darks

intransitive verb

obsolete : to grow dark (see dark entry 1)

transitive verb

: to make dark
Phrases
in the dark
1
: in secrecy
most of his dealings were done in the dark
2
: in ignorance
kept the public in the dark about the agreement
go dark
1
: to become dark
The room suddenly went dark.
2
a
: to stop operating or functioning : to shut down
Most Salt Lake City restaurants go dark on Sundays …Kurt Repanshek
Andy Beal was one of 220 million subscribers to Skype … who saw the service go dark on Aug. 16.Stephen Baker
In the end, the heart stops, the cells die, the neurons go darkJoshua Ferris
b
communications : to stop broadcasting or transmitting : to go offline
The roosters were just beginning to crow in that lost hour before dawn when Lt. Col. Steve Russell of the Army's 4th Infantry Division ordered his men to "go dark" and roll their Humvees up to the edge of a lone farmhouse here.William Booth
Choose the Right Synonym for dark

obscure, dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal mean not clearly understandable.

obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

Examples of dark in a Sentence

Adjective She sat in the dark room alone. Soon it will be dark enough to see the stars. It was a dark and stormy night. Dark clouds of smoke were coming from the windows. She's wearing a dark suit to the interview. a man wearing dark clothing You've got dark circles under your eyes this morning. dark spots on the skin Noun He's 12 years old and still afraid of the dark. The burglars hid in the dark between the two buildings. He bought the kids special rings that glow in the dark. We'd better get home before dark. They waited until after dark to begin their escape. He uses lots of darks in his decorating. Wash the lights and the darks separately.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Charlie Brooker’s dark, satirical series Black Mirror will make a comeback in 2025. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 These same storms could also produce tornadoes and will likely be active Thursday night after dark, increasing the danger. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 This new patent leather Bamboo 1947 Mini Top Handle Bag from Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno makes a big statement with its petite size and bold colors (think dark red, pink, orange and black). Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Inside the Danubius Hotel Helia’s expansive wellness center, the cool, dark salt cave covered in Dead Sea crystals (bookable for 45-minute intervals) also encourages renewal. Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024 The anti-hero goes down a dark path to avenge Shelly’s death at the hands of their mysterious killers. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Upon his return, he was taken to a small dark room at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for questioning about his studies. Cate Cadell, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 He was described as Hispanic, with a dark complexion, in his late 20s, 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall, with a thin to medium build and shoulder length black hair. Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 The dazzling dress featured a diagonal pattern of white and silver circles that transitioned into darker, petal-like shapes at the bottom. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
Even better, the new solar project selling electricity to Allegiant is paired with batteries to store sunlight for after dark. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 For instance, Drakeford says to hang clothes according to category, and encourages arranging each item by color and style (light to dark and short to long). Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024 Despite the playful title, the lyrics penned by Keith and and frequent collaborator Scotty Emerick hinted at a a dark underbelly to the American dream, with images of people being shot, abused, someone blowing up a building and stealing a car. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024 Your body tries to conserve water by using less in your pee, causing that dark color.5 Other dehydration symptoms include dry mouth and skin, dizziness, extreme thirst, and fatigue.6 Drink more water to check if you are dehydrated. Dr. Roshini Raj, Health, 4 Jan. 2024 Here are some ideas: Change the chocolate: Instead of white chocolate on the rim, use milk or dark. Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2023 Alongside Anatomy of a Fall, other best film nominees included Jonathan Glazer’s harrowing Holocaust drama The Zone of Interest, Aki Kaurismäki dark, droll Finnish love story Fallen Leaves, Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano from Italy, and Agnieszka Holland’s Polish drama Green Border. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2023 Crème de cacao comes in two types: White (distilled) or dark (sometimes distilled but definitely infused). Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2023 The rain didn’t stay away long, however, and the walk back in the near dark was slippery on the ancient stones. Kristen De Groot, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2023
Verb
Blooms vary in color from creamy white to dark pink and purple with spotted throats. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2024 Some of the county's older printers simply struggled to print ballots dark enough to be read by on-site tabulators because of the length and thickness of midterm ballots, according to the independent review. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 29 Jan. 2024 In that way, Saturday gave a sense not merely of bracing conditions of autumn, but of the departing season’s resolve not to yield too soon to dark and chill winter. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2023 This includes everything from full matte coverage and gradient eyebrows, to dark updos and sharp nails. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 1 Dec. 2023 Each day has a different roast with a variety of notes from light and bright to dark and bold. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2023 In other words, if the base of the nail features a dark to light gradient, then the tip should feature a light to dark one. Allure, 27 Dec. 2022 The farm is open from daylight to dark seven days a week. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 26 May 2023 Each of their designs focuses on just one color that fades gradually from light to dark in a smooth gradient or soft mountainscape vista. Hollyanna McCollom, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

Middle English derk, from Old English deorc; akin to Old High German tarchannen to hide

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dark

Cite this Entry

“Dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dark

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: being without light or without much light
in winter it gets dark early
b
: not giving off light
the dark side of the moon
2
: not light in color
a dark suit
dark blue
3
: not bright and cheerful : gloomy
look on the dark side of things
4
: being without knowledge and culture : ignorant
a dark period in history
5
: secret entry 1 sense 1a
kept their plans dark
6
: not clear to the understanding
puzzled us with his dark sayings
darkish adjective
darkly
-klē
adverb
darkness
ˈdärk-nəs
noun

dark

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: absence of light : darkness
b
: a place or time of little or no light : night, nightfall
get home before dark
2
: a dark or deep color

More from Merriam-Webster on dark

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