darkness

noun

dark·ness ˈdärk-nəs

Synonyms of darkness next

: the quality or state of being dark: such as

: the total or near total absence of light

There was almost no light when he opened his eyes again. The darkness of night was thick and for a moment he began to panic again.—

Gary Paulsen

b(1)

: the quality of being dark in shade or color

the darkness of the old wooden floor

the darkness of these blues and greens

: dark color or colors

In O'Donnell's paintings, darkness pre-dominates. If there are bright colors, they are painted over a deep-hued ground.—

Richard Kalina

(2)

: the quality of being dark in complexion

Few people know the isolation Owens endured during his childhood in Alexander City, Ala. Other kids teased him mercilessly for the darkness of his skin and his beanpole physique.—

Jeffri Chadiha

c(1)

: a gloomy or depressed state or tone

I'm not suicidal, clinically depressed, or bipolar, but I am subject to mood swings. … I've tried a number of different mental techniques, mostly prayer, visualization, and meditation, but nothing has worked to lighten my darkness.—

Will Manley

And the other darkness was a tremendous sorrow, a deep sadness that her mother was dead and that the princess could, now, only talk to her in her dreams.—

Kate DiCamillo

What, I wondered, did the good man of the cloth make of the reckless humor, the anger and the darkness of those late works?—

Russell Banks

(2)

: evil

From the same source he drew the picture of a heavenly visitor, a god who comes to earth to impart true knowledge … and save humanity from the powers of darkness.—

J. Louis Martyn

(3)

: a lack of knowledge or enlightenment

In 1492, the intellectual darkness that shrouded Europe for centuries was slowly, almost grudgingly lifting.—

Bob Fisher

Examples of darkness in a Sentence

the raiding party snuck up under cover of darkness the darkness of certain passages in the Book of Revelation let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories the darkness of that period of my life is best forgotten

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.

Speed, distraction, infrastructure and, as a Detroit Free Press/USA Today Network investigation revealed in 2018, the increasing presence of large trucks and SUVs with their higher front ends, have all played a role, along with factors, including darkness and impairment. —

Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024 The score roils with melodic drama in the film’s prologue, which vibrantly depicts a tense heist to steal the titular piano under the cover of darkness and a Fourth of July fireworks show in Mississippi. —

Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile, place bread in toaster and toast to desired darkness. —

Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024 The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for darkness