dark

English Online Dictionary. What means dark‎? What does dark mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: därk, IPA^(key): /dɑːk/
• (General American) enPR: därk, IPA^(key): /dɑɹk/
• Homophones: doc, dock (non-rhotic, father-bother merger)
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)k

Etymology 1

From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”).

Adjective

dark (comparative darker, superlative darkest)

1. Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.

   Synonyms: dim, gloomy; see also Thesaurus:dark

   Antonyms: bright, light, lit

   1. (of a source of light) Extinguished.

      Synonyms: doused, out, quenched

   2. Deprived of sight; blind.

      Synonyms: eyeless, sightless, unseeing
2. Transmitting, reflecting, or receiving inadequate light to render timely discernment or comprehension

   Synonyms: caliginous, darkling, dim, gloomy, lightless, sombre

   Antonyms: luminous, radiant; see also Thesaurus:shining

3. (of colour) Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.

   Synonyms: deep; see also Thesaurus:dark colour

   Antonyms: bright, light, pale
4. Ambiguously or unclearly expressed.

   Synonyms: enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious, obscure, undefined; see also Thesaurus:arcane
5. Marked by or conducted with secrecy.

   Synonyms: clandestine, hidden, secret, sinister, surreptitious; see also Thesaurus:hidden

   dark money

   1. (gambling, of race horses) Having racing capability not widely known.
6. Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malevolent, malign.

   Synonyms: demonic, malign, sinister; see also Thesaurus:evil
7. Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.

   Synonyms: dreary, hopeless, negative, pessimistic; see also Thesaurus:cheerless
8. (of a time period) Lacking progress in science or the arts.

   Synonym: unenlightened
9. Extremely sad, depressing, or somber, typically due to, or marked by, a tragic or undesirable event.

   Synonyms: grievous, mournful; see also Thesaurus:lamentable, Thesaurus:sad
10. With emphasis placed on the unpleasant and macabre aspects of life; said of a work of fiction, a work of nonfiction presented in narrative form, or a portion of either.

11. (broadcasting, of a television station) Off the air; not transmitting.

Derived terms

Related terms

• darken
• darkling
• darkness

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English derk, derke, dirke, dyrke, from the adjective (see above), or possibly from an unrecorded Old English *dierce, *diercu (“dark, darkness”).

Noun

dark (usually uncountable, plural darks)

1. A complete or (more often) partial absence of light.
2. (uncountable) Ignorance.
3. (uncountable) Nightfall.

4. A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, etc.

Synonyms

• (absence of light): darkness
• (ignorance): cluelessness, knowledgelessness, unawareness
• (nightfall): crepusculum, evenfall, mirkning; see also Thesaurus:dusk

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English derken, from Old English deorcian, from Proto-West Germanic *derkōn.

Verb

dark (third-person singular simple present darks, present participle darking, simple past and past participle darked)

1. (intransitive) To grow or become dark, darken.
2. (intransitive) To remain in the dark, lurk, lie hidden or concealed.
3. (transitive) To make dark, darken; to obscure.

See also

• black
• shadow

Further reading

• dark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• k-rad

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dark.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdark/
• Rhymes: -ark
• Hyphenation: dàrk

Adjective

dark (invariable)

1. dark (used especially to describe a form of punk music)

References

Tarifit

Etymology

Borrowed from Moroccan Arabic دارك (dārak).

Pronunciation

Verb

dark (Tifinagh spelling ⴷⴰⵔⴽ)

1. (transitive) to achieve, to succeed
2. (transitive) to possess, to obtain, to acquire

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• meddartc (“to reach”)
  • Verbal noun: ameddartc