dark

adjective

\ ˈdärk

Definition of dark

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

2a : 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

3a : 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

4a : not clear to the understanding

b : not known or explored because of remoteness the darkest reaches of the continent

5 : not fair in complexion : swarthy dark skin

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

dark

noun

Definition of dark (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : a place or time of little or no light : night, nightfall get home before dark

b : absence of light : darkness afraid of the dark

2a : 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 colored separated the darks and the lights before starting the laundry

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.

2a : 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 dark …— Joshua Ferris

b communications : to stop broadcasting or transmitting : to go off-line 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

dark

verb

darked; darking; darks

Definition of dark (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

obsolete : to grow dark (see dark entry 1)

transitive verb

: to make dark

Other Words from dark Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about dark

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for dark

Adjective

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

There's no extreme body kit for the CT4-V, only dark mesh trim for the grille, quad exhaust tips, and a rear spoiler to distinguish it from the standard car. — Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, "The Cadillac CT4 Entry-Luxury Sedan Appears in Medium-Performance CT4-V Form," 30 May 2019 Isabella Giannulli, one of the daughters of Full House star Lori Loughlin, has gone dark on Instagram. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Isabella Giannulli Deleted Her Instagram Account Amid College Admissions Investigation," 18 Apr. 2019 But two years after Oregon’s appearance in the 2017 Final Four—the conference’s only one since expanding from the Pac-10 in 2011—the sunny Pac-12 is having its darkest and stormiest season. — Rachel Bachman, WSJ, "The Worst Pac-12 Season Ever," 13 Mar. 2019 Create tree with dark and light green nonpareils and outline quilt with red string licorice and edible red confetti. Decorate sides: Attach mini pretzel sticks with royal icing and pipe royal icing to create crosshatches. — Taylor Murray, Country Living, "Gingerbread Barn," 19 Nov. 2018 The first thing to know: If your dark circles are caused by pigment or by vascular issues, filler isn’t going to magically erase them. — April Long, Town & Country, "Yes, You Can Get Filler for Your Under Eye Area—But Do You Need It?," 9 May 2019 There are definitely products that can help, but ultimately dark circles come down to a complicated combination of genetics, hydration—and, yes—sleep. — Glamour, "We Tried the Best Methods for Getting Rid of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes," 30 Apr. 2019 The image of the black hole shows a ring of light surrounding a dark circle, confirming scientists' theories about their massive force. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "We Know What a Black Hole Looks Like for the First Time," 10 Apr. 2019 In another study, published in 2009 in Skin Research & Technology, researchers only measured participants' dark undereye circles after six months of treatment. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "How Bad Is It to Switch Up Your Skin-Care Products All the Time?," 7 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Of course, fans aren't completely in the dark about Picard's fate after the conclusion of Nemesis. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "Everything We Know So Far About 'Star Trek: Picard'," 16 May 2019 Never one to leave us in the dark for too long, the 21-year-old has now revealed the rest of the KylieSkin family, all of which will be available for purchase on Wednesday, May 22 at KylieSkin.com. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Everything We Know About Kylie Jenner's Skincare Line," 12 May 2019 Criminals on the dark web have a growing appetite for hacking into corporate applications, a new alert from the Department of Homeland Security says. — Brooke Crothers, Fox News, "DHS warns companies targeted on dark web," 27 July 2018 Some talks are held in elusive corners of the dark web, but pedophiles are not necessarily the most technologically adept. — NBC News, "Cheap tech and widespread internet access fuel rise in cybersex trafficking," 30 June 2018 The dark web, sometimes referred to as the Darknet, is not accessible by traditional means. — Jordan Cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Sacramento dark web dealers busted in nationwide Homeland Security operation," 26 June 2018 The cybercrime detective searched through the dark web but found no mentions of either company. — Nicholas Rondinone, courant.com, "Overseas Ecstasy Shipment Leads Detectives To Cache Of Guns, Drugs In Simsbury Home," 10 May 2018 Union Township Police Department Detective Ken Mullis said Liming had been ordering drugs off the dark web then selling the drugs from his mother's apartment. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Union Township man sentenced to 14 years in prison for manslaughter after deadly overdose," 26 Apr. 2018 The calm markets of recent months have meant more trades are getting done in the dark. — Alexander Osipovich, WSJ, "‘Dark Pools’ Draw More Trading Amid Low Volatility," 3 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Pick a champagne color for fair skin or gold for olive to dark skin tones,then swipe a little along the entire length of your cheekbones. — Paige Stables, Good Housekeeping, "9 Sneaky Reasons Why Your Skin Looks Dull," 12 Oct. 2017 Each image has 28×28=784 input values, each a real number between zero and one representing how light or dark a pixel is. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "How computers got shockingly good at recognizing images," 18 Dec. 2018 One of the Green Berets, a weapons specialist, pulled aside the blanket and revealed a hole, perhaps 5 feet high and 3 feet wide, leading into a tunnel carved deep and dark into the hillside. — Michael M. Phillips, WSJ, "‘I Think I’ve Been Shot’: Nighttime Raid in Afghanistan Reveals New U.S. Strategy," 5 Dec. 2018 The truth is Filipino people run the gamut from light skin to dark skin and everything in between. — Jessica Andrews, Teen Vogue, "Kelsey Merritt on Making History as the First Filipino Model at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," 8 Nov. 2018 His background is a bit more freewheeling, but also dark: his father, a schoolteacher, is kind and supportive, while his mother, who suffered a traumatic brain injury years before, has a penchant for shedding her clothes in public. — refinery29.com, "On Chesil Beach Review: Can You Have Love Without Sex?," 16 May 2018 Full Coverage Concealer, $5, available in nine shades that match light to dark skin tones, plus three color-correcting hues. — Brooke Shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "The 30 Best Concealers That Will Completely Cover Your Acne," 22 Mar. 2016 Heavy Metal Flea Market isn't so literal; the event begins with metal as its starting-off point and explore everything from monster-movie culture to clothing to dark mystical stuff. — John Petkovic, cleveland.com, "Now That's Class and Beachland Ballroom to host music-themed flea markets," 7 Dec. 2017 Fun and dark all at once, the song is a feel-good revenge tune with powerful elements. — Tamar Herman, Billboard, "20 K-Pop Songs for Your Halloween Playlist by BTS, BIGBANG, EXO & More," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.