dark

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

English

Pronunciation

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

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.
   1. (of a source of light) Extinguished.

   2. Deprived of sight; blind.
2. Transmitting, reflecting, or receiving inadequate light to render timely discernment or comprehension: caliginous, darkling, dim, gloomy, lightless, sombre.
3. (of colour) Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.
4. Ambiguously or unclearly expressed: enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious, obscure, undefined.
   • Template:RQ:Watts improvement
5. Marked by or conducted with secrecy: hidden, secret; clandestine, surreptitious.

   (gambling, of race horses) Having racing capability not widely known.

6. Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malign.
7. Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
8. (of a time period) Lacking progress in science or the arts.
   • 1668, John Denham, The Progress of Learning

     The age wherein he lived was dark, but he
     Could not want light who taught the world to see.
9. Extremely sad, depressing, or somber, typically due to, or marked by, a tragic or undesirable event.
10. With emphasis placed on the unpleasant 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.

Synonyms

• (relative lack of light): dim, gloomy, see also Thesaurus:dark
• (sinister or secret): hidden, secret, sinister, see also Thesaurus:hidden
• (without morals): malign, sinister, see also Thesaurus:evil
• (of colour): deep, see also Thesaurus:dark colour
• (conducive to hopelessness): hopeless, negative, pessimistic
• (lacking progress): unenlightened

Antonyms

• (relative lack of light): bright, light, lit
• (of colour): bright, light, pale

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.
   • Till we perceive it by our own understandings, we are as much in the dark, and as void of knowledge, as before.

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

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