darkness

noun

dark·​ness ˈdärk-nəs 

: the quality or state of being dark: such as

a

: the total or near total absence of light

There was almost no light when he opened his eyes again. The darkness of night was thick and for a moment he began to panic again.

—Gary Paulsen

b(1)

: the quality of being dark in shade or color

the darkness of the old wooden floor

the darkness of these blues and greens

: dark color or colors

In O'Donnell's paintings, darkness pre-dominates. If there are bright colors, they are painted over a deep-hued ground.

—Richard Kalina

(2)

: the quality of being dark in complexion

Few people know the isolation Owens endured during his childhood in Alexander City, Ala. Other kids teased him mercilessly for the darkness of his skin and his beanpole physique.

—Jeffri Chadiha

c(1)

: a gloomy or depressed state or tone

I'm not suicidal, clinically depressed, or bipolar, but I am subject to mood swings. … I've tried a number of different mental techniques, mostly prayer, visualization, and meditation, but nothing has worked to lighten my darkness.

—Will Manley

And the other darkness was a tremendous sorrow, a deep sadness that her mother was dead and that the princess could, now, only talk to her in her dreams.

—Kate DiCamillo

What, I wondered, did the good man of the cloth make of the reckless humor, the anger and the darkness of those late works?

—Russell Banks

(2)

: evil

From the same source he drew the picture of a heavenly visitor, a god who comes to earth to impart true knowledge … and save humanity from the powers of darkness.

—J. Louis Martyn

(3)

: a lack of knowledge or enlightenment

In 1492, the intellectual darkness that shrouded Europe for centuries was slowly, almost grudgingly lifting.

—Bob Fisher

Synonyms

• black
• blackness
• candlelight
• dark
• dusk
• gloaming
• gloom
• murk
• night
• semidarkness
• shade
• shadows
• twilight
• umbra

Examples of darkness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And Brandon Stirling Baker’s lighting is magical, bathing the dancers in pools of mournful darkness or liberating light. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024

Victory was inevitable — Scheffler had a five-shot lead with three holes to play when the final round, delayed 2 1/2 hours because of storms Sunday afternoon, was suspended by darkness. —Doug Ferguson, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2024

There was something in this world that could rouse me, something that lightened the darkness. —Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

Soon smaller lamps filled the darkness behind the band on the screen — all underneath stars and a crescent-moon backdrop. —John Lonsdale, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024

The performance space—a cavernous Beaux-Arts gallery that McKim, Mead & White had originally designed for the Elks organization—was plunged into darkness. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

On Friday morning, a handful of groups finished up their first round, which was cut short due to darkness and resumed at 8 a.m. in the morning. —Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 12 Apr. 2024

Farmers have relied on this recipe of frost, darkness and warmth for more than 200 years. —Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

In place of the grand theatrical installations that have defined Hermès presentations in years prior, the room was bathed in darkness and at first appeared relatively spartan. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English derknesse, going back to Old English deorcnysse, from deorc dark entry 1 + -nysse -ness

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing darkness

• plunge into darkness
• under (the) cover of darkness/night