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
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
darkly
adverb
1
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
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
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
Kurt RepanshekAndy Beal was one of 220 million subscribers to Skype … who saw the service go dark on Aug. 16.—Stephen Baker
Stephen BakerIn the end, the heart stops, the cells die, the neurons go dark …—Joshua Ferris
Joshua 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
William BoothSynonyms
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 WebJohn Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2024
The actor playing Brack was Leo Reuss, the cast’s sole Jewish member, a handsome man with a sculpted jaw and dark eyes.
—Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
Glory be to god for logjams, the antediluvian dark,
for being a supply of goodness outpacing demand
because so many prefer their egos’ endless ranting
to the suggestion of a different narrator or narrative.
—Virginia Konchan, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
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 
Adjective
Whenever one filled up, the park rangers replaced it with a new notebook and took the old one back to headquarters, where they’ve all been kept for years inside a dark cabinet in a back room.
—John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2024
The actor playing Brack was Leo Reuss, the cast’s sole Jewish member, a handsome man with a sculpted jaw and dark eyes.
—Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
In that respect, the extreme dark on Catalina is unusual, Browne said.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
Glory be to god for logjams, the antediluvian dark,
for being a supply of goodness outpacing demand
because so many prefer their egos’ endless ranting
to the suggestion of a different narrator or narrative.
—Virginia Konchan, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dark
Cite this Entry
“Dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dark
1 of 2 adjective1
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
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