the Dark Ages
plural noun
1
: the period of European history from about A.D. 500 to 1000 : the first 500 years of the Middle Ages
2
or the dark ages often humorous
: the period of time before things developed into their modern form
In the dark ages before computers, we often wrote our letters by hand.
Her father's ideas about women are from the Dark Ages.
Examples of the Dark Ages in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film, headed to theaters today via Lionsgate, is a dramatic horror tale set during the War of the Roses, at the tail end of the Dark Ages.
—
William Earl, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
But after about 1,000 years of these games, the competition, along with the word, was lost during the Dark Ages, or the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
Made from 1980 through 1984 (during the Dark Ages of U.S. safety and emissions regulations), the diminutive French confection was loosely derived from the quotidian Renault 5, a model brought stateside from 1976 through 1983.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2025
This mix of both good and bad health remedies is nothing new, but according to researchers compiling a growing database of centuries’ old medical manuscripts, some of today’s social media suggestions aren’t that far off from prescriptions documented in the Dark Ages.
—Andrew Paul Jul 17, Popular Science, 17 July 2025
Buscemi returned for the next seasons, with new settings of the Dark Ages and the Oregon Trail.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Greenlandic Debris in Iceland Likely Tied To Bond Event 1 Ice Rafting in the Dark Ages
Sam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
The first serious attempt was DARE, the Dark Ages Radio Explorer.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
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William Earl, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
But after about 1,000 years of these games, the competition, along with the word, was lost during the Dark Ages, or the aftermath of the fall of the Roman Empire.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
Made from 1980 through 1984 (during the Dark Ages of U.S. safety and emissions regulations), the diminutive French confection was loosely derived from the quotidian Renault 5, a model brought stateside from 1976 through 1983.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2025
This mix of both good and bad health remedies is nothing new, but according to researchers compiling a growing database of centuries’ old medical manuscripts, some of today’s social media suggestions aren’t that far off from prescriptions documented in the Dark Ages.
—Andrew Paul Jul 17, Popular Science, 17 July 2025
Buscemi returned for the next seasons, with new settings of the Dark Ages and the Oregon Trail.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Greenlandic Debris in Iceland Likely Tied To Bond Event 1 Ice Rafting in the Dark Ages
Sam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
The first serious attempt was DARE, the Dark Ages Radio Explorer.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
But beneath the Dark Ages warrior exterior is an keen grasp of a new type of warfare.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The Dark Ages.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Dark%20Ages. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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