as in darkened
being without light or without much light
lost in the stygian reaches of the deep forest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 stygian
But the film that follows — luminously ashen where too many recent movies and TV shows have just been irritatingly dim — is flooded with a moonlight so lucid and alive that even the story’s most stygian moments might as well have been set at high noon.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
On the credit side of the ledger, the stygian interior decor is brightened at night by the neonesque instrument and secondary-control lighting—blue and red—and the cabin is commendably quiet at most operating speeds.
—Tony Swan, Car and Driver, 3 June 2023
In the last half of 1934, glimmers of daylight peaked through the stygian blackness and, and 1935, the downward trajectory began to reverse itself and tick upward.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2023
Predators that eat the banana-sized birds include peregrine falcons, stygian owls and arboreal snakes.
—Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2023
Did this rodent revenant cross a stygian void to haunt us yet again?
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022
Streaks should start cutting through the stygian sky starting at midnight.
—Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Aug. 2021
When his tiny friend Trinket devises a scheme for their escape from the orphanage, Arthur embarks on a quest through a wild wood and into the stygian corridors of a subterranean city to solve the mystery of his origins.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
After a five-minute ride through the stygian darkness, the barge eases up to a low dock.
—Wayne Curtis, WIRED, 30 May 2017
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024
On the credit side of the ledger, the stygian interior decor is brightened at night by the neonesque instrument and secondary-control lighting—blue and red—and the cabin is commendably quiet at most operating speeds.
—Tony Swan, Car and Driver, 3 June 2023
In the last half of 1934, glimmers of daylight peaked through the stygian blackness and, and 1935, the downward trajectory began to reverse itself and tick upward.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2023
Predators that eat the banana-sized birds include peregrine falcons, stygian owls and arboreal snakes.
—Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2023
Did this rodent revenant cross a stygian void to haunt us yet again?
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022
Streaks should start cutting through the stygian sky starting at midnight.
—Joe Mario Pedersen, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Aug. 2021
When his tiny friend Trinket devises a scheme for their escape from the orphanage, Arthur embarks on a quest through a wild wood and into the stygian corridors of a subterranean city to solve the mystery of his origins.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2017
After a five-minute ride through the stygian darkness, the barge eases up to a low dock.
—Wayne Curtis, WIRED, 30 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stygian
Adjective
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What that résumé doesn’t show, however, is Sinofsky’s entanglement in the murkier corners of the business world.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The power of the rap lies in the murky mystery behind it.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The increases will also apply to black car, taxi and limousine drivers who currently don’t pay anything to drop off passengers curbside at the airport.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The joint venture, which launched March 5, showcases a lightweight low-runner shape in four colorways (natural grey, mustard yellow, burgundy, and black), built around core principles of sustainability and minimalism—an approach both brands have long championed.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stygian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stygian. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
