benighted

adjective

be·​night·​ed bi-ˈnī-təd 

bē-

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 adverb

benightedness noun

Synonyms

• ignorant

Examples of benighted in a Sentence

the poor benighted souls who do not know the joys of reading

Recent Examples on the Web

With hundreds of years of patient work behind it, with some educational institutions willing to protect their scientists, and with researchers hard at work in less-benighted nations, the human desire to know and to understand will continue to produce results. —Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025

Like the original Outlander, Blood of My Blood is believably frank about the possibility of assault in the benighted past. —Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025

Americans think of Argentina as a benighted third-world nation. —Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025

Trump has talked up the idea of moving the Palestinians out of Gaza, even suggesting transforming one of the most benighted places on earth into some kind of coastal resort. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for benighted

• affrighted
• alighted
• delighted
• excited
• farsighted
• highlighted
• ignited
• incited
• indicted
• invited
• nearsighted
• recited

Kids Definition

benighted

adjective

be·​night·​ed bi-ˈnīt-əd 

: ignorant sense 1, 2