dark

(därk)

1. a. Lacking or having very little light: a dark corner.
   b. Lacking brightness: a dark day.
2. Reflecting only a small fraction of incident light.
3. Of a shade tending toward black in comparison with other shades. Used of a color.
4. Having a complexion that is not fair; swarthy.
5. Served without milk or cream: dark coffee.
6. Characterized by gloom; dismal: took a dark view of the consequences.
7. Sullen or threatening: a dark scowl.
8. Difficult to understand; obscure: stories that are large in scope and dark in substance.
9. Concealed or secret; mysterious: “the dark mysteries of Africa and the fabled wonders of the East” (W. Bruce Lincoln).
10. Lacking enlightenment, knowledge, or culture: a dark age in the history of education.
11. Exhibiting or stemming from evil characteristics or forces; sinister: “churned up dark undercurrents of ethnic and religious hostility” (Peter Maas).
12. Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor.
13. Having richness or depth: a dark, melancholy vocal tone.
14. Not giving performances; closed: The movie theater is dark on Mondays.
15. Linguistics Pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum. Used of the sound (l) in words like full.

1. Absence of light.
2. A place having little or no light.
3. Night; nightfall: home before dark.
4. A deep hue or color.

Related Forms:

• darkˈish adjective

• darkˈly adverb

• darkˈness noun