black 1 of 3

1
as in ebony
having the color of soot or coal we adopted a little black kitten

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in brunette
not having a light complexion a black Irishman, Tyrone Power had the classic looks of a Hollywood leading man

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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black

2 of 3

noun

black

3 of 3

verb

chiefly British

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of black
Noun
In addition to white, snag it on sale in other seasonal colors like black, green, coffee, and khaki. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025 The artistry hinged on soft black liner framing the eyes, a pop of copper shimmer on the lids, and skin that radiated health. Essence, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
An image released showed a man and smaller person, both dressed in black, fleeing the scene on a motorbike. Todd Symons, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 Outside Beijing’s leadership compound, burly men in black tackled Yang’s mother to the ground. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black
Adjective
  • Opinel announced the Néo6 in late July and offers it for a price of US$30 with a French walnut handle, $35 with an Italian olive handle, or $70 with an African ebony handle.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2025
  • There’s no question these ebony felines are both mysterious and beautiful.
    Tribune News Reports, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
  • In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.
    Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • The blue sky gave way to the blackness of space about 8 minutes and 4o seconds after leaving the ground.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But the town’s blackness isn’t just about coal—or, for that matter, about the police abuse Shinhye suffers there.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Filmmakers for Palestine boycott joins a long line of efforts to boycott businesses with ties to Israel.
    Chloe Veltman, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In 1972, King threatened to boycott the tournament unless the organizers agreed to pay men and women equally, and her activism was successful.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Mary Anne MacLeod grew up in a suburb, a village called Tong — really just a cluster of houses, including the early 20th century squat gray stucco bungalow that was her family's home.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
  • On one hand, companies that enable gray-zone transactions face heightened scrutiny.
    Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Elements of her can be found on Lioness in Zoe Saldaña’s Joe McNamara, a CIA operative trying to save the world from the swarthy — terrorists in Season One, Mexican cartels in Season Two — while raising two girls.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Jett Rink was a really malevolent varmint, and kind of swarthy and dark.
    Jeff Conway, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

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