darkness

1
2
3
as in night
the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom the darkness of that period of my life is best forgotten

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 darkness In lieu of baroque prosthetic gore and over-the-top CGI effects, the movie leans into silence and darkness for much of its 81-minute run time. Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025 The multiple color-correcting shades come in green to cancel redness, peachy pink to help brighten darkness, and peach, orange, and red to help neutralize deeper skin tones. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Oct. 2025 For those of us who encountered our scariest monsters in the darkness of a movie theatre, that’s something of an injustice in itself, but an injustice that the industry has long normalized. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025 The group gathers in darkness, faintly lit by the glow of electric candles. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for darkness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness
Noun
  • Forget wasteful palettes with unused pans, the universally flattering Gris Doux works for everyday or can be layered to create more intensity after dark.
    Ellie Davis, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The stories have gotten so prevalent that park management discourages people from exploring the park after dark in an attempt to dissuade ghost hunters from damaging the historic sites.
    Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Stage directors and performers have attempted to excavate and animate that ambiguity, first dreamed up by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in Hedda Gabler, for over a century.
    Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
  • His ambiguity has stirred controversy, given constitutional restrictions in the 22nd and 12th amendments on such a move.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Ukraine needs a constant pipeline of weapons from its allies to defend against Russian barrages of missiles and drones – often several hundred in one night.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Here are luckiest numbers, places to play Did anyone win Powerball last night, October 25, 2025?
    Chris Sims, IndyStar, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For players, the potential advantages include a much larger accessible library, the combination of local hardware, cloud, and PC options in a single device, and stronger peripheral and mod support typical of Windows.
    Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Chilly air and clouds will be rolling into the Greater Cincinnati area for the last week of October.
    Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Cast adrift in a frosty wilderness—a harrowing yet welcome departure, visually, from the Gothic shadows of Victor’s lair—the Creature experiences a dollop of decency, courtesy of a blind old farmer (a wonderful David Bradley), but also a deluge of misery, courtesy of everyone else.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The facility also replicates the moon's intense sunlight, harsh shadows and dust-laden environment, providing a realistic setting for testing equipment like Argonaut.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The shootings cast a pall on what is normally a jubilant season in the Mississippi countryside, as stifling heat gives way to cooler autumn days and former residents return to reconnect with the community of their youth.
    Aishvarya Kavi, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The result is not just uncertainty for viewers, TV executives and show staffs, but a pall over an advertising category that's long been a staple of live TV.
    Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • One hour becomes two, two become three, my mind straining for answers in the blackness.
    Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Smoke and blackness enfolded him.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.
    Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on darkness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!