dark
dark — adjective
1. having so little light that people or objects are hard to see, or having no ligh
having so little light that people or objects are hard to see, or having no light at all
The basement was so dark that Pim had to use his phone as a torch.
so + adj + that + result clause
Tariq walked carefully down the dark hallway without making a sound.
Jiwoo could not find her glasses in the dark room.
preposition: dark + noun (room / street / corner)
The old theatre was completely dark when the power cut hit the area.
Emma refused to enter the dark cave behind the waterfall.
- dark room
- dark street
- dark night
- dark corner
- pitch dark
- dark hallway
- dim
suggests not enough light to see clearly, but not completely without light
- shadowy
emphasises the presence of dark shapes or areas rather than total blackness
- pitch-black
informal; means completely without light, stronger than 'dark'
Usage Note
Pitch dark is a common fixed phrase meaning completely dark, used in everyday speech.
Common Mistakes
2. describing shades that sit near the black end of the colour range, for example n
describing shades that sit near the black end of the colour range, for example navy, maroon, or forest green
Tanvi wore a dark green dress to her sister's wedding ceremony.
dark + colour: dark green / dark blue / dark red
Heloísa chose dark brown curtains to match the wooden floor.
Baraka has dark hair and light brown eyes.
dark + hair / skin / eyes (physical description)
Hugo painted the kitchen walls a dark shade of blue.
Andrei prefers dark colours like black and grey for winter coats.
- dark blue
- dark green
- dark brown
- dark hair
- dark colour
- dark shade
Usage Note
Position: dark comes before the colour name (dark blue, not blue dark). When referring to a person's complexion, some contexts prefer terms like deep or rich over dark — be sensitive to regional usage.
Common Mistakes
3. very sad, with no reason to believe that the situation will get better or improv
very sad, with no reason to believe that the situation will get better or improve
After losing his job, Ravindra went through a dark period in his life.
dark + period / days / times (temporal nouns)
Pim tried to stay hopeful even during the darkest moments of the crisis.
The mood in the office grew darker after the manager announced the cuts.
grow / become + darker (change of state)
Tanvi's face fell as she read the dark news about the accident.
It was a dark day for the whole community when the school burned down.
- dark days
- dark period
- dark times
- dark mood
- dark thoughts
- grow darker
Usage Note
Commonly paired with time-related nouns: dark days, dark period, dark times. Distinguish from sense 4 (adjective/4) which describes the tone of creative works, not a personal emotional state.
Common Mistakes
4. describing films, books, or works of art that focus on sad, painful, or serious
describing films, books, or works of art that focus on sad, painful, or serious subjects rather than light or funny ones
Andrei prefers dark comedies that deal with death and loss through humour.
dark + comedy / humour / film
Baraka's latest novel is a dark story about betrayal during the war.
The film was too dark for young children, with scenes of violence and grief.
Jiwoo enjoys reading dark fantasy books where evil forces threaten the world.
dark fantasy / dark romance (genre labels)
Christopher found the play deeply moving despite its dark subject matter.
- dark comedy
- dark humour
- dark fantasy
- dark film
- dark story
- dark themes
Usage Note
Often used before a genre or creative medium: dark comedy, dark fantasy, dark romance. Not used for a person's emotional state — use sense 3 for that.
Common Mistakes
5. connected with evil, wickedness, or frightening things that make people feel sca
connected with evil, wickedness, or frightening things that make people feel scared or uneasy
The villagers believed that dark forces lived in the forest at night.
dark + forces / powers / side (evil-related nouns)
Eitan gave her a dark look that made her step back in fear.
The old house had a dark history that no one wanted to talk about.
dark + history / past / secret
Baraka's character in the play turns to the dark side by the third act.
Ravindra suspected that the company had a dark purpose for buying the land.
- dark forces
- dark side
- dark magic
- dark powers
- dark look
- dark history
Usage Note
Often appears in fantasy or moral contexts. The dark side (from Star Wars) has become a fixed cultural reference for evil generally.
Common Mistakes
6. kept hidden from other people's knowledge, especially because it would cause sha
kept hidden from other people's knowledge, especially because it would cause shame or trouble if discovered
Christopher kept his dark secret for over twenty years before telling anyone.
keep + dark secret (common collocation)
Tanvi knew nothing about her grandfather's dark past in the old regime.
The politician's dark dealings were finally exposed by the newspaper.
dark + dealings / deeds / purposes
Emma sensed that her neighbour was hiding something dark about his past.
Heloísa discovered a dark chapter in the history of the old mansion.
- dark secret
- dark past
- dark dealings
- dark chapter
- keep something dark
- hidden
more neutral; simply means not visible or not known
- secret
widest usage; can be positive or negative
- undisclosed
formal; used in legal or official contexts
Usage Note
Frequently paired with nouns suggesting concealment: secret, past, dealings. The phrase keep something dark is a dated idiom meaning to keep something secret.
Common Mistakes
a dark horse
idioma person who keeps their abilities, interests, or plans hidden from others, often surprising people by winning or doing well
No one expected the new chef to win — she was a dark horse in the competition.
Hugo turned out to be a dark horse who could speak five languages fluently.
in the dark
idiomnot knowing about something that other people know; having no information about a situation
The employees were kept in the dark about the company's financial troubles.
Ravindra was completely in the dark regarding his friend's plans to move abroad.
a shot in the dark
idioma guess or attempt that has very little chance of being correct or successful because you have almost no information
His answer to the final question was just a shot in the dark, but it turned out to be right.
Without any clues, the detective's theory was nothing more than a shot in the dark.
keep something dark
idiomTo not tell anyone about something and keep it hidden.
Maya kept her new job dark until the contract was signed.
Why did you keep that dark? We could have helped you.
dark — noun
1. the condition in which light is absent, making it hard or impossible to see thin
the condition in which light is absent, making it hard or impossible to see things around you
Pim sat alone in the dark, waiting for the electricity to come back on.
in the dark (fixed preposition phrase)
Tanvi's eyes slowly adjusted to the dark after she turned off the lamp.
The cat's eyes glowed yellow in the dark beneath the porch.
Jiwoo was scared of the dark until she was twelve years old.
be scared of the dark (common childhood phrase)
Emma noticed a faint shape moving in the dark at the end of the hall.
- the dark
- in the dark
- afraid of the dark
- eyes adjust to the dark
Usage Note
Typically used with the definite article: the dark. The prepositional phrase in the dark is very common for describing a place or state.
Common Mistakes
2. the period after sunset when daylight is fully gone, often used as a point in ti
the period after sunset when daylight is fully gone, often used as a point in time to mark a boundary
The park closes at dark, so the gates are locked by eight in winter.
at dark / before dark / after dark (time boundary)
Tariq promised his mother he would be home before dark.
Baraka does not like walking home alone after dark through the empty streets.
after dark (most common time phrase)
Hugo waited until dark to set up the telescope for star-gazing.
Christopher and his team worked from dawn to dark to finish the harvest.
- after dark
- before dark
- at dark
- from dawn to dark
Usage Note
Used in time-boundary phrases: before dark, after dark, at dark. Unlike sense 1 (absence of light), this sense refers to a specific period of the day. No article needed in these fixed phrases.
Common Mistakes
dark — verb
1. to gradually become darker in colour or for light to fade away, especially as pa
to gradually become darker in colour or for light to fade away, especially as part of a natural process like evening approaching
The sky darkened quickly as the storm clouds moved in from the coast.
sky + darkens (natural phenomenon)
Jiwoo watched the room darken as the sun set behind the hills.
Andrei's leather jacket darkened with age and exposure to the sun.
material + darkens with age / use
It began to darken outside, so Heloísa lit a candle on the table.
The old photograph had darkened over the years and was now hard to read.
- the sky darkens
- darken with age
- the room darkened
- darken outside
- lighten
to become lighter in colour or brightness
Grammar Patterns
subject + darkens
it darkens (impersonal)
Usage Note
More common in literary or descriptive writing than in casual speech. In everyday conversation, get dark is far more frequent: 'It's getting dark.'
Common Mistakes
2. to make something darker in colour, especially by adding a darker substance or b
to make something darker in colour, especially by adding a darker substance or by blocking light
Pim darkened the paint by adding a drop of black colour to the mix.
darken + [object] + by + method
Tanvi used a thicker curtain to darken the room during her afternoon nap.
Baraka darkened his wooden furniture with a special oil finish.
darken + [object] + with + [substance]
Hugo darkened the lines of his drawing to make them stand out more.
The gardener darkened the soil by mixing in rich compost before planting.
- darken the room
- darken the paint
- darken with oil
- darken by adding
Grammar Patterns
darken + [object]
darken + [object] + with/by + [method]
Usage Note
Rarer than the intransitive sense. In everyday spoken English, people usually say 'make something darker' instead of 'darken something'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
Dark is the most general word for a space with little or no light. Dim describes a space where there is some light, but not enough to see clearly — a dim room still lets you make out shapes, while a dark room may not. Gloomy adds a feeling of sadness or depression to the lack of light: a gloomy day is both dark and cheerless. Shadowy highlights the presence of dark shapes or cast shadows rather than overall darkness — a shadowy corner may have light elsewhere in the room. Murky is used for darkness that is thick, cloudy, or hard to see through, especially in water or air: a murky pond is dark and unclear. Use dark for general lack of light, dim for reduced visibility, gloomy for emotional tone, shadowy for partial darkness with visible shapes, and murky for darkness combined with cloudiness or confusion.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- very dark
- completely dark
- quite dark
- pitch dark
Phrases
- in the dark (about something)
- keep someone in the dark
- a leap in the dark
Prepositions
- in the dark
- after dark
- before dark
- at dark
Etymology
Dark comes from Old English deorc, meaning 'without light, gloomy, sad.' It is related to Old High German tarchanjan ('to hide, conceal'), which connects to the sense of secrecy. The word has been used since the 1200s to describe both physical darkness and emotional or moral gloom. The verb darken appeared in the 1300s, and the noun darkness became common in Middle English religious texts to describe the absence of divine light.