What does "dark" mean?
A complete or (more often) partial absence of light.
Dark
/dɑːk/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A complete or (more often) partial absence of light.
- Grammar: dark is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: darkness, shadow, ableptical, abominable.
- Useful contrasts: bright, glowing, illuminated.
- Usage evidence: As he sits in the dark, typing away at his computer, he hears the sound of morning birds chirping away and realizes he has been up all night - but the insomniac still refuses to sleep.
How to use "dark"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dark" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "dark" 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 "dark" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dark" 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 "dark" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb 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 "darkness" 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 "dark", 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 A complete or (more often) partial absence of light. uncountable, usually
"Dark surrounds us completely."
- 2 an unenlightened state wordnet
- 3 Ignorance. uncountable, usually
"We kept him in the dark."
- 4 an unilluminated area wordnet
- 5 Nightfall. uncountable, usually
"It was after dark before we got to playing baseball."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 absence of light or illumination wordnet
- 7 A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, etc. uncountable, usually
"The lights may serve for a repose to the darks, and the darks to the lights."
- 8 absence of moral or spiritual values wordnet
- 9 the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside wordnet
Verb
- 1 To grow or become dark, darken. intransitive
- 2 To remain in the dark, lurk, lie hidden or concealed. intransitive
"To dark is still used in Swaledale (Yorkshire) in the sense of to lie hid, as, 'Te rattens [rats] mun ha bin darkin whel nu [till now]; we hannot heerd tem tis last fortnith'."
- 3 To make dark, darken; to obscure. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
"The room was too dark for reading."
- 2 Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.; Extinguished.
"Dark signals should be treated as all-way stop signs."
- 3 Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.; Deprived of sight; blind.
"He was, I think, at this time quite dark, and so had been for some years."
- 4 Transmitting, reflecting, or receiving inadequate light to render timely discernment or comprehension
- 5 Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.
"My sister’s hair is darker than mine."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 Ambiguously or unclearly expressed.
"What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?"
- 7 Marked by or conducted with secrecy.
"The dark side of the moon."
- 8 Marked by or conducted with secrecy.; Having racing capability not widely known.
"The first favourite was never heard of, the second favourite was never seen after the distance post, all the ten-to-oners were in the rear, and a dark horse, which had never been thought of, and which the careless [Duke of] St. James had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grand stand in sweeping triumph."
- 9 Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malevolent, malign.
"a dark villain"
- 10 Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
"The Great Depression was a dark time."
- 11 Lacking progress in science or the arts.
"The dark ages began after the collapse of the Roman Empire."
- 12 Extremely sad, depressing, or somber, typically due to, or marked by, a tragic or undesirable event.
"September 11, 2001, the day when four terrorist attacks destroyed the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, is often referred to as America’s dark day."
- 13 With emphasis placed on the unpleasant and macabre aspects of life; said of a work of fiction, a work of nonfiction presented in narrative form, or a portion of either.
"The ending of this book is rather dark."
- 14 Off the air; not transmitting.
Adjective
- 1 not giving performances; closed wordnet
- 2 brunet (used of hair or skin or eyes) wordnet
- 3 devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black wordnet
- 4 causing dejection wordnet
- 5 (used of color) having a dark hue wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 marked by difficulty of style or expression wordnet
- 7 lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture wordnet
- 8 stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable wordnet
- 9 showing a brooding ill humor wordnet
- 10 secret wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"As he sits in the dark, typing away at his computer, he hears the sound of morning birds chirping away and realizes he has been up all night - but the insomniac still refuses to sleep."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dark"?
Common synonyms include: darkness, shadow, ableptical, abominable, abstruse, adiaphanous.
How do you use "dark" in a sentence?
As he sits in the dark, typing away at his computer, he hears the sound of morning birds chirping away and realizes he has been up all night - but the insomniac still refuses to sleep.
How do you pronounce "dark"?
Pronounced /dɑːk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English derk, derke, dirke, dyrke, from the adjective (see above), or possibly from an unrecorded Old English *dierce, *diercu (“dark, darkness”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English derken, from Old English deorcian, from Proto-West Germanic *derkōn.