dark 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdärk How to pronounce dark (audio)
Definition of darknext
1
as in dim
being without light or without much light a dark alley that most people wisely avoided

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2
as in black
not having a light complexion he was tall, dark, and handsome

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3
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer her mind was filled with dark thoughts until the results of the medical test came back as negative

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4
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge the actor was always quite dark about his life before his arrival in Hollywood

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5
as in ambiguous
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning the superhero was not daunted by the villain's dark threats

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6
as in ignorant
lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books is known as a dark period in European history when people lived in ignorance, fear, and want

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7
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable dark deeds that resulted in the Russian czar being known to history as Ivan the Terrible

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dark

2 of 2

noun

1
as in shadows
a time or place of little or no light I have a bad habit of running into tables in the dark

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2
as in night
the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight we were going to wait until dark to go trick-or-treating

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word dark different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of dark are ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic, equivocal, obscure, and vague. While all these words mean "not clearly understandable," dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

In what contexts can ambiguous take the place of dark?

The meanings of ambiguous and dark largely overlap; however, ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

When might cryptic be a better fit than dark?

While in some cases nearly identical to dark, cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

When could enigmatic be used to replace dark?

The synonyms enigmatic and dark are sometimes interchangeable, but enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

When can equivocal be used instead of dark?

The words equivocal and dark are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

When is obscure a more appropriate choice than dark?

In some situations, the words obscure and dark are roughly equivalent. However, obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

When would vague be a good substitute for dark?

While the synonyms vague and dark are close in meaning, vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

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 dark
Adjective
Her nails, on the other hand (no pun intended), went in the opposite direction with a super-dark, short manicure, keeping the look from skewing too angelic. — Marci Robin, Allure, 6 July 2026 One shows the Oscar standing beside her dark granite gravestone. — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Noun
Even an aggressive plaintiff would know that lingering past dark wouldn’t go over well in court. — Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 News of a glow-in-the-dark Nike Air Foamposite Pro first materialized in November, with early reports of a Summit White/Black colorway enhanced with the glowing treatment. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dark
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dark
  1. murky
  2. black
  3. bleak
  4. silent
  5. ambiguous
  6. ignorant
  7. evil
  8. shadows
Adjective
  • More than a year later, the origin of the document remains murky.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • In October 2025, Schumer shared an Instagram photo of herself wearing a black button-down minidress with coordinating heels.
    — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • But when Natalie Portman wore a pair of sleek black sneakers last summer, I was forced to rethink that.
    — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 6 July 2026
Definition of black
Adjective
  • Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Kehoe pointed to the state’s bleak finances in a statement explaining his cuts on Tuesday.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Born Wong Liu Tsong on January 3, 1905, her career spanned both silent film and talkies.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 July 2026
  • Climate change will continue to exacerbate conflict long after the guns fall silent, with profound implications for human security, national stability, and international peace.
    — Sarah Yerkes, Time, 10 July 2026
Definition of silent
Adjective
  • As for the ambiguous finale, Hall and Bravo have similar, but slightly different views on it.
    — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
  • Much of what couples experience as conflict is, on closer inspection, a disagreement about which interpretation of an ambiguous event is the correct one, and that disagreement is rarely settled by appeals to trust.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Let’s hope that George Santayana’s warning to those ignorant of history about the past repeating itself makes an exception for our present Defense Department.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026
  • And then there are amateur collectors like me, who might not know ironstone from porcelain, but whose last day on earth could be spent touching old objects in ignorant bliss.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2026
Definition of ignorant
Adjective
  • Through Latin and early Christian usage, the word took on its modern sense of an evil supernatural spirit.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • When it was overturned, however, the United States rightly or wrongly became the evil empire to the rest of world soccer.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026
Definition of evil
Noun
  • These new developments bring into fuller view some questions that could only linger in the shadows when Shannon and I spoke.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • In the long shadows of the Pacific Northwest, the Yanks were fortunate not to trail 5-1 at the half — and their lone goal came on a Malik Tillman free kick that deflected off a Belgian defender’s head into the net.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Definition of shadows

Phrases Containing dark

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daringness
dark
dark age
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Cite this Entry

“Dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dark. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of dark for Spanish Speakers

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