dark

1 of 3

adjective

darker; darkest
1
a
: devoid or partially devoid of light : not receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light
a dark room
b
: transmitting only a portion of light
dark glasses
2
a
: wholly or partially black
dark clothing
b
of a color : of low or very low lightness
dark blue
c
: being less light in color than other substances of the same kind
dark rum
3
a
: arising from or showing evil traits or desires : evil
the dark powers that lead to war
b
: dismal, gloomy
had a dark view of the future
c
: lacking knowledge or culture : unenlightened
a dark period in history
d
: relating to grim or depressing circumstances
dark humor
4
a
: not clear to the understanding
b
: not known or explored because of remoteness
the darkest reaches of the continent
5
: intense in color, coloring, or pigmentation : not light or fair
dark hair
a dark complexion
6
: secret
kept his plans dark
7
: possessing depth and richness
a dark voice
8
: closed to the public
the theater is dark in the summer
darkish adjective
darkly adverb

dark

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: a place or time of little or no light : night, nightfall
get home before dark
b
: absence of light : darkness
afraid of the dark
2
a
: a color of low or very low lightness : a dark or deep color
usually plural
a painter who uses a lot of darks
b
darks plural : clothing that is dark in color
separated the darks and the lights before starting the laundry

dark

3 of 3

verb

darked; darking; darks

intransitive verb

obsolete : to grow dark (see dark entry 1)

transitive verb

: to make dark
Phrases
in the dark
1
: in secrecy
most of his dealings were done in the dark
2
: in ignorance
kept the public in the dark about the agreement
go dark
1
: to become dark
The room suddenly went dark.
2
a
: to stop operating or functioning : to shut down
Most Salt Lake City restaurants go dark on Sundays …Kurt Repanshek
Andy Beal was one of 220 million subscribers to Skype … who saw the service go dark on Aug. 16.Stephen Baker
In the end, the heart stops, the cells die, the neurons go darkJoshua Ferris
b
communications : to stop broadcasting or transmitting : to go offline
The roosters were just beginning to crow in that lost hour before dawn when Lt. Col. Steve Russell of the Army's 4th Infantry Division ordered his men to "go dark" and roll their Humvees up to the edge of a lone farmhouse here.William Booth
Choose the Right Synonym for dark

obscure, dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal mean not clearly understandable.

obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

Examples of dark in a Sentence

Adjective She sat in the dark room alone. Soon it will be dark enough to see the stars. It was a dark and stormy night. Dark clouds of smoke were coming from the windows. She's wearing a dark suit to the interview. a man wearing dark clothing You've got dark circles under your eyes this morning. dark spots on the skin Noun He's 12 years old and still afraid of the dark. The burglars hid in the dark between the two buildings. He bought the kids special rings that glow in the dark. We'd better get home before dark. They waited until after dark to begin their escape. He uses lots of darks in his decorating. Wash the lights and the darks separately.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Black eyes, dark hair, Han is blocking the exit, standing with his hands on his hips, like a big fat X. Suzanne Seggerman, Curbed, 14 Nov. 2024 Sean getting beaten up at the end of the last episode was a dark moment, but Shrinking never lets a story stay serious for very long. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
Another almost fell to their death while the group was hiking after dark along a steep, forested hillside above Class V rapids. Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024 Zion finishes off the standard base trailer with a set of four bed lights for easily rummaging through cargo after dark and a rocker switch panel for those lights and available auxiliary and rock lights. New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
But Cohen is uniquely gifted at establishing and maintaining a party vibe no matter how tonally dark her material gets, a gift she's had ample opportunity to hone during her years' worth of cabaret shows at the East Village gay bar Club Cumming. Emma Specter, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2024 Should dark money or rising concentration in cable news programming further enhance this influence, control of the media could come to determine elections. Isabel Sawhill, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2021 See all Example Sentences for dark 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

Middle English derk, from Old English deorc; akin to Old High German tarchannen to hide

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dark

Cite this Entry

“Dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dark

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: being without light or without much light
in winter it gets dark early
b
: not giving off light
the dark side of the moon
2
: not light in color
a dark suit
dark blue
3
: not bright and cheerful : gloomy
look on the dark side of things
4
: being without knowledge and culture : ignorant
a dark period in history
5
: secret entry 1 sense 1a
kept their plans dark
6
: not clear to the understanding
puzzled us with his dark sayings
darkish adjective
darkly
-klē
adverb
darkness
ˈdärk-nəs
noun

dark

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: absence of light : darkness
b
: a place or time of little or no light : night, nightfall
get home before dark
2
: a dark or deep color

More from Merriam-Webster on dark

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!