darkly

adverb

Definition of darklynext
as in blackly

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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 darkly The Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze is played as a glowering, skeptical presence by a darkly handsome English actor. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026 Angels is relentless, melodic, and aggressive—Pocket Pet and Achilles are standouts—a darkly feverish run of glitchy and tense soundscapes. — Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026 Inspired by true events surrounding a controversial legal defense, the darkly comic play examines privilege, moral accountability, family legacy and the American justice system. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026 Tonally, the film is darkly comic, but the violence never feels slapstick. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026 Now, Carpenter has released Cathedral, another collection of darkly evocative music that works in tandem with a graphic novel the musician has published under the same name. — David Harris, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026 The darkly comedic series, which also starred Mel Rodriguez, Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto, Ted Levine, and Mary Steenburgen, debuted on Showtime in August 2019 and ran for 10 episodes. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 Because there are indications that One Night Only might have had something more darkly satirical on its mind at one point. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026 McFadden described Gorey as a celebrated author and illustrator known for his darkly whimsical style. — Daniella Segura, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkly
  1. blackly
  2. somberly
  3. gloomily
  4. pessimistically
  5. sullenly
  6. dismally
  7. glumly
  8. distressingly
Adverb
  • What at first appears to be a run-of-the-mill trauma drama about a family dealing with the eldest child’s anorexia nervosa gradually evolves into something odder and more original, even blackly comic, in Ungrateful Beings.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Saadawi’s unabashedly political, blackly funny contemporary take on the mythos (superb translated by Jonathan Wright, who captures the wry humor and brooding, ominous rhythms of Saadawi’s dark tale) is, however, a true standout in a very crowded field.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2024
Definition of blackly
Adverb
  • James Hoffa, his sister Barbara, their adult children and grandchildren somberly mark this day with each passing year.
    — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
Definition of somberly
Adverb
  • Museums abhor windows, so the building has all the approachability of a medieval keep, as gloomily defensive as the park is welcoming.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
  • In Time Regained, the concluding volume of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, an older version of the narrator gloomily decides to attend a gathering at the Guermantes’ mansion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of gloomily
Adverb
  • The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2026
  • For example, professors Morana Koludrovic and Franceska Delija at the University of Split in Croatia also make the point, more pessimistically, however, that the young can no longer learn from the old, not with all the changes in technology and media.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of pessimistically
Adverb
  • The mother laughed, which made the girl slouched sullenly on her Icelandic glance back, and her mother brushed a hand over her face.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Take, for example, Keanu Reeves, who was memeified after a photo of the actor sullenly eating a sandwich went viral.
    — Ben Pettis, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of sullenly
Adverb
  • But for now, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains at a dismally low 13%, according to the American Cancer Society.
    — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 12 May 2026
  • The assets performed dismally in March but rebounded in April.
    — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 8 May 2026
Definition of dismally
Adverb
  • If exceeding delivery targets fails to spark a rally, meeting or slightly beating bottom-line earnings will likely be greeted glumly by Wall Street.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 July 2026
  • Three of the four arrived soberly dressed, one of them, Hodgkin, in a black suit, folded his arms and stared glumly ahead.
    — Robin Muir, Vogue, 12 June 2026
Definition of glumly
Adverb
  • The movie’s strongest sequences provide the all-too-rare sensation of truly not being able to believe your eyes, as the film’s most fantastical elements feel distressingly real.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • The event was halted after an hour due to fears about her safety, which distressingly encapsulates a tension that the trans Mayan artist has navigated for years.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
Definition of distressingly

Browse Nearby Words

darkling
darkly
darkness
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Cite this Entry

“Darkly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkly. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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