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

Solar eclipse 2024 path of totality Indianapolis is among several major cities in the direct line of darkness, including Dallas, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y. Where is the best place near me to watch the 2024 solar eclipse? —Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024

But for those not on the path of totality, the effect might still be seen depending on the degree of darkness experienced, said Dr. Grady Rylander III, a licensed ophthalmologist and professor in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024

As the moon passes in front of the sun, plunging a swath of North America into a few minutes of darkness, throngs will take pictures or videos of the moment. —Kelvin Chan, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

Ten years after a white supremacist murdered three people outside the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, a nonprofit that aims to shine light in the face of darkness hopes to expand the message of kindness and connection in the community. —Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

The richness of Batman is in the way this principled, almost Boy Scout-like figure is wrapped up in this kind of ghoulish appearance and his willingness to embrace the darkness. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024

Americans in the path of totality, which will cross the mainland from Texas through Maine, will experience a few minutes of night-like darkness in the middle of the day — and for that brief time, some have planned once-in-a-lifetime moments. —Luis Giraldo, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2024

The celestial phenomenon will see the sun completely cover the moon on Monday, April 8th, shrouding some parts of the country in complete darkness for up to four minutes. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 2 Apr. 2024

Parts of Ohio and other states will be temporarily shadowed in darkness due to the 2024 solar eclipse. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 22 Mar. 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