Definition of benighted
1 : overtaken by darkness or night Benighted travellers … have seen his midnight candle glimmering. — W. B. Yeats
2 : existing in a state of intellectual, moral, or social darkness : unenlightened spreading their message among these poor benighted people a strange, benighted country
benightedly
adverbbenightedness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of benighted in a Sentence
the poor benighted souls who do not know the joys of reading
Recent Examples of benighted from the Web
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For this city dweller is no slick deceiver out of Molière or Dickens, but a benighted idiot in his own right.
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Hall’s real-life husband, Clifton Hall, also is moving in the rather thankless role of Diana’s well-meaning but benighted husband, Dan.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'benighted'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of benighted
15th century
BENIGHTED Defined for English Language Learners
benighted
playDefinition of benighted for English Language Learners
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: having no knowledge or education
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Seen and Heard
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