Black

/blæk/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang

adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The colour/color perceived in the absence of light, but also when no light is reflected, but rather absorbed.
  • Grammar: black is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: abominable, absolute, african-american, american indian.
  • Useful contrasts: white, alba, blanc.
  • Usage evidence: Did you buy it on the black market?

How to use "black"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "black" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "black" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "black" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "black" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "black" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "abominable" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "black", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The colour/color perceived in the absence of light, but also when no light is reflected, but rather absorbed. countable, uncountable

    "Black is the badge of hell, / The hue of dungeons, and the suit of night."

  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of black (“person having dark pigmentation of the skin”). alt-of

    "By 2016, however, a divide that started appearing in the preceding few years came into full relief—that year, 29% of nonwhite liberals (28% of nonwhite Democrats) and 38% of Black liberals (34% of Black Democrats), disagreed that “Blacks should work their way up without special favors.”"

  3. 3
    black clothing (worn as a sign of mourning) wordnet
  4. 4
    A black dye or pigment. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    The player moving the black pieces.

    "Unless the arbiter decides otherwise, ranks from White to Black shall be given the German numbers."

Show 18 more definitions
  1. 6
    (board games) the darker pieces wordnet
  2. 7
    A pen, pencil, crayon, etc., made of black pigment. countable
  3. 8
    the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white) wordnet
  4. 9
    Black cloth hung up at funerals. countable, in-plural, uncountable

    "Groans, and convulsions, and a discolored face, and friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like, show death terrible."

  5. 10
    a person with African ancestry, ‘Negro’ and ‘Negroid’ are archaic and pejorative today wordnet
  6. 11
    A member or descendant of any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. capitalized, countable, offensive, often, sometimes

    ""How! They surely cannot pretend that the black is an Englishman?" "There are all kinds of Englishmen, black and white, when seamen grow scarce. […]""

  7. 12
    total absence of light wordnet
  8. 13
    Blackness, the condition of belonging to or being descended from one of these ethnic groups. informal, uncountable

    "black don't crack"

  9. 14
    The black ball. countable
  10. 15
    The edge of home plate. countable
  11. 16
    A type of firecracker that is really more dark brown in colour. British, countable
  12. 17
    Ellipsis of blackcurrant. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, informal

    "Pernod and black; snakebite and black; cider and black"

  13. 18
    Ellipsis of blackcurrant.; Blackcurrant as syrup or crème de cassis used for cocktails. UK, countable, informal, uncountable
  14. 19
    The person playing with the black set of pieces. countable

    "At this point black makes a disastrous move."

  15. 20
    Something, or a part of a thing, which is black. countable

    "the black or sight of the eye"

  16. 21
    A stain; a spot. countable, obsolete

    "defiling her white lawn of chastity with ugly blacks of lust"

  17. 22
    A dark smut fungus, harmful to wheat. countable, uncountable
  18. 23
    Marijuana. US, countable, slang, uncountable

    "He pulled on the black, the tip of the filter hot and malleable between his lips, and felt a cool tingling coat the simmer in his chest and begin to eat away at it in small bites."

Verb
  1. 1
    To make black; to blacken. transitive

    ""I don't want to fight; but you are a mean, dirty blackguard, or you wouldn't have treated a girl like that," replied Tommy, standing as stiff as a stake before the bully. "Say that again, and I'll black your eye for you.""

  2. 2
    make or become black wordnet
  3. 3
    To apply blacking to (something). transitive

    "[…] he must catch, curry, and saddle his own horse; he must black his own brogans (for he will not be able to buy boots)."

  4. 4
    To boycott, usually as part of an industrial dispute. British, transitive

    "The plants were blacked by the Transport and General Workers' Union and a consumer boycott was organised; both activities contributed to what the union saw as a victory."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.

    "The items around him were black in colour."

  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of black (“of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin”). alt-of, not-comparable

    "It contained an article written by Lacy Banko summarizing the work of Dr. Herbert Hendin, who had done a comparative study on suicide among Black people in the major American cities. Dr. Hendin found that the suicide rate among Black men between the ages of nineteen and thirty-five had doubled in the past ten to fifteen years, surpassing the rate for whites in the same age range."

  3. 3
    Without light.
  4. 4
    Belonging to or descended from any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc.) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. (See usage notes below.) capitalized, sometimes

    "Somebody tell me, what can I do / Something is holding me back / Is it because I'm black?"

  5. 5
    Belonging to or descended from any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc.) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. (See usage notes below.); Belonging to or descended from any of various sub-Saharan African ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. South-Africa, UK, US, capitalized, sometimes
Show 18 more definitions
  1. 6
    Designated for use by those ethnic groups (as described above). historical

    "black drinking fountain; black hospital"

  2. 7
    Of the spades or clubs suits.

    "I was dealt two red queens, and he got one of the black queens."

  3. 8
    Bad; evil; ill-omened.

    "black magic"

  4. 9
    Expressing menace or discontent; threatening; sullen.

    "He shot her a black look."

  5. 10
    Illegitimate, illegal, or disgraced.

    "Foodstuffs were rationed and, as in other countries in a similar situation, the black market was flourishing."

  6. 11
    Foul; dirty, soiled.

    "Then trip him, that his heeles may kicke at Heauen, / And that his Soule may be as damn'd aud blacke / As Hell, whereto it goes."

  7. 12
    Overcrowded. Ireland, informal
  8. 13
    Without any cream, milk, or creamer.

    "Jim drinks his coffee black, but Ellen prefers it with creamer."

  9. 14
    Of or relating to the playing pieces of a board game deemed to belong to the "black" set (in chess, the set used by the player who moves second) (often regardless of the pieces' actual colour).

    "The black pieces in this chess set are made of dark blue glass."

  10. 15
    Said of a symbol or character that is solid, filled with color.

    "Compare two Unicode symbols: ☞ (“WHITE RIGHT POINTING INDEX”); ☛ (“BLACK RIGHT POINTING INDEX”)."

  11. 16
    Of or pertaining to anarchism; anarchist.
  12. 17
    Related to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. German

    "After the election, the parties united in a black-yellow alliance."

  13. 18
    Clandestine; relating to a political, military, or espionage operation or site, the existence or details of which is withheld from the general public.

    "5 percent of the Defense Department funding will go to black projects."

  14. 19
    Occult; relating to something (such as mystical or magical knowledge) which is unknown to or kept secret from the general public.

    "Pope Joan, who once occupied the throne of the Vatican, was reputed to be the blackest sorcerer of them all."

  15. 20
    Protestant, often with the implication of being militantly pro-British or anti-Catholic. (Compare blackmouth ("Presbyterian").) Ireland, derogatory

    "the Black North"

  16. 21
    Having one or more features (hair, fur, armour, clothes, bark, etc.) that is dark (or black).

    "the black knight; black bile"

  17. 22
    Having one or more features (hair, fur, armour, clothes, bark, etc.) that is dark (or black).; Dark in comparison to another species with the same base name. especially

    "black birch; black locust; black rhino"

  18. 23
    Sullen and solemn; bad-tempered and unhappy. Singapore, Singlish

    "They gave up trying to talk to me. Ever since I gave them that big scolding. But every time they see me, all face black black."

Adjective
  1. 1
    marked by anger or resentment or hostility wordnet
  2. 2
    of or belonging to a racial group especially of sub-Saharan African origin wordnet
  3. 3
    extremely dark wordnet
  4. 4
    being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light wordnet
  5. 5
    (of the face) made black especially as with suffused blood wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
  1. 6
    soiled with dirt or soot wordnet
  2. 7
    (of coffee) without cream or sugar wordnet
  3. 8
    (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin wordnet
  4. 9
    stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable wordnet
  5. 10
    (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame wordnet
  6. 11
    offering little or no hope wordnet
  7. 12
    distributed or sold illicitly wordnet
  8. 13
    (of intelligence operations) deliberately misleading wordnet
  9. 14
    harshly ironic or sinister wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname transferred from the nickname. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A number of places in the United States:; A town in Geneva County, Alabama. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Edwards County, Illinois. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States:; A township in Posey County, Indiana; from the surname. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Reynolds County, Missouri. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    A number of places in the United States:; A township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania; from the surname. countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Mercer County and Wyoming County, West Virginia. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
abominableabsoluteafrican-americanamerican indianamerindangry

Example

"Did you buy it on the black market?"

Common questions

What does "black" mean?

The colour/color perceived in the absence of light, but also when no light is reflected, but rather absorbed.

What is a synonym for "black"?

Common synonyms include: abominable, absolute, african-american, american indian, amerind, angry.

How do you use "black" in a sentence?

Did you buy it on the black market?

How do you pronounce "black"?

Pronounced /blæk/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English blak, black, blake, from Old English blæc (“black, dark", also "ink”), from Proto-West Germanic *blak, from Proto-Germanic *blakaz (“burnt”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleg- (“to burn, shine”). See also Dutch blaken (“to burn”), Low German blak, black (“blackness, black paint, (black) ink”), Old High German blah (“black”); also compare Latin flagrāre (“to burn”), Ancient Greek φλόξ (phlóx, “flame”), Sanskrit भर्ग (bharga, “radiance”). Adjective sense 20 is a semantic loan from Cantonese 黑面 (hak1 min6, “to pull a long face, to scowl”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English blak (“black”). Also a variant of Blake, from Old English blāc (“pale”) and Blanc, from Old French blanc (“white”).

Etymology 3

Capitalized to follow the usual capitalization patterns for ethnic groups (compare e.g. Hispanic, Arab), and also, perhaps, as a way to explicitly distinguish it from the color sense, which is not capitalized outside proper nouns.

More for "black"

Synonyms

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