What does "darkling" mean?
Darkness.
Darkling
/ˈdɑː(ɹ)klɪŋ/ adj, adv, noun, verb
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Darkness.
- Grammar: darkling is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: black, dark, dark, darkly.
- Useful contrasts: bright, brightly, clear.
- Usage evidence: Somewhere there, on that desolate plain, was lurking this fiendish man, hiding in a burrow like a wild beast, his heart full of malignancy against the whole race which had cast him out. It needed but this to complete the grim suggestiveness of the barren waste, the chilling wind, and the darkling sky.
How to use "darkling"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "darkling" 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 "darkling" 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 "darkling" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "darkling" 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 "darkling" is acting as adj, adv, 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 "black" 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 "darkling", 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 Darkness. rare, uncountable
"She carried some rugs for me through the shrubbery in the darkling. "They'll think we've gone mooning," she said, jerking her head at the household. "I wonder what they make of us – criminals.""
- 2 A child of darkness; someone dark by nature or who has grown dark in character. obsolete
- 3 A creature that lives in the dark.
- 4 A demon. poetic
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of darkle form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 Dark; growing dark; darkening. not-comparable, poetic
"She still pursued its flight, with all the speed / Her fainting strength had hitherto supplied: / What pathless wilds she crossed ! What forests darkling wide !"
- 2 Obscure; taking place unseen, as if in the dark. figuratively, not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 (poetic) occurring in the dark or night wordnet
- 2 uncannily or threateningly dark or obscure wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In the dark; in obscurity. not-comparable
"So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling."
Example
"Somewhere there, on that desolate plain, was lurking this fiendish man, hiding in a burrow like a wild beast, his heart full of malignancy against the whole race which had cast him out. It needed but this to complete the grim suggestiveness of the barren waste, the chilling wind, and the darkling sky."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "darkling"?
Common synonyms include: black, dark, dark, darkly, dim, dimly.
How do you use "darkling" in a sentence?
Somewhere there, on that desolate plain, was lurking this fiendish man, hiding in a burrow like a wild beast, his heart full of malignancy against the whole race which had cast him out. It needed but this to complete the grim suggestiveness of the barren waste, the chilling wind, and the darkling sky.
How do you pronounce "darkling"?
Pronounced /ˈdɑː(ɹ)klɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English derkelyng. By surface analysis, dark + -ling.
Etymology 2
Coined by Irish poet Mary Tighe in 1805, likely as an extension of the adverbial sense, and popularized by John Keats.
Etymology 3
From darkle + -ing, darkle itself a backformation from Tighe's adjectival sense.
Etymology 4
From dark + -ling.