stygian

adjective

ˈsti-j(ē-)ən How to pronounce stygian (audio)
Definition of stygiannext
as in darkened
being without light or without much light lost in the stygian reaches of the deep forest

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
  1. darkened
  2. dark
  3. murky
  4. black
Adjective
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • As Florian Wirtz was substituted during Liverpool’s 2-2 opening day draw at Newcastle United, the German midfielder sat on the bench, retrieved a bottle of dark red liquid, and began to drink.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In this version, the couple has moved from Chicago to London for a fresh start—bad things happened in Chicago—and the set features a wide town house with dark corners and William Morris wallpaper.
    — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • But the situation remains murky and operations are cumbersome, with rescuers digging by hand.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And yet the nugget of knowledge from his vast experience of traversing 120 yards (110 metres) via two 60-yard lengths in a trench – dug 4ft deep and 3ft wide in a Welsh field – filled with murky, mucky river water is not a tip about technique.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • As deputies prepared to have the vehicle towed, one found a small black pouch containing passports and a Social Security card.
    — Dale Ellis, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
  • She’s been struggling with an injury in her left Achilles area since before Wimbledon and wore visible black strapping against Rybakina.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of black

Browse Nearby Words

sty
stygian
style
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Cite this Entry

“Stygian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stygian. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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