darkness

darkness — noun

1. a condition with so little light available that seeing things becomes difficult

1.nounB1
Definition

a condition with so little light available that seeing things becomes difficult or altogether impossible

Example

The power cut left the whole building in complete darkness for three hours.

collocation: complete / total darkness

Dahlia could not find her phone in the darkness of the cinema.

prepositional phrase: in the darkness of [place]

Common collocations
  • complete darkness
  • total darkness
  • pitch darkness
  • deep darkness
  • in the darkness
  • darkness falls
  • darkness descends
Synonyms
  • gloom

    suggests a dim, murky darkness rather than total absence of light

  • shadow

    refers to the dark shape cast by something blocking light, not a general state

  • obscurity

    more formal; can mean darkness but often implies lack of visibility due to distance or haze

  • night

    narrower — the natural darkness that comes after sunset, not a general condition

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

darkness + of + noun

in + (the) + darkness

total / complete / pitch + darkness

Usage Note

Commonly used with adjectives such as complete, total, pitch, deep, or absolute to describe the degree of absence of light. Preceded by in when referring to a location or situation.

Common Mistakes

The room was filled with dark after sunset.
The room was filled with darkness after sunset.
darkness is the noun form; dark is normally an adjective.

2. the quality of a colour that makes it closer to black than to white, or the degr

2.nounB1
Definition

the quality of a colour that makes it closer to black than to white, or the degree to which it is deep rather than pale

Example

The darkness of her navy jacket contrasted nicely with the white scarf.

contrast pattern: darkness of [garment] + contrasted with

Lotte chose curtains with a darkness that would block out the morning sun.

Common collocations
  • darkness of the wood
  • darkness of the fabric
  • increase the darkness
  • depth and darkness
Synonyms
  • depth

    can describe intensity of colour but is less specific about the black end of the spectrum

  • shade

    focuses on the particular version of a colour rather than the degree of darkness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the darkness of + noun (colour/material)

Usage Note

Typically used when describing fabrics, paints, wood, or other materials where the shade or depth of colour matters. Not used for abstract colour descriptions like 'her favourite colour is blue'.

Common Mistakes

I like the darkness of the sky today' (when meaning 'the sky is dark' from weather).
I like the darkness of the wooden floor in this room.
Use only for depth of colour in materials, not for atmospheric conditions.

3. a deep feeling of sadness and hopelessness, as if there is no possibility of hap

3.nounB2
Definition

a deep feeling of sadness and hopelessness, as if there is no possibility of happiness or improvement

Example

After losing his job and his home, Darius fell into a deep darkness that lasted for months.

collocation: fell into a deep darkness

The novel captures the emotional darkness of a community torn apart by the civil war.

Common collocations
  • deep darkness
  • emotional darkness
  • inner darkness
  • darkness of despair
  • darkness lifted
  • glimmer of light in the darkness
Synonyms
  • despair

    stronger and more active sense of giving up hope

  • gloom

    less intense; can describe a passing sad mood

  • melancholy

    more poetic and reflective, often with a gentle sadness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

darkness + of + noun (emotion/situation)

fall into + darkness

a darkness + settled / descended

Usage Note

Frequently used in literary and psychological contexts. Often appears with modifiers like deep, emotional, inner, or spiritual. Distinguish from sense 4 (EVIL): this sense describes a personal emotional state rather than a moral quality.

Common Mistakes

I feel a darkness about the math exam tomorrow' (for ordinary worry).
After the breakup she felt a darkness she could not explain.
This sense describes a deep, lasting hopelessness, not everyday anxiety.

4. a quality of being morally bad, threatening, or connected with evil forces, ofte

4.nounB2
Definition

a quality of being morally bad, threatening, or connected with evil forces, often in a frightening or supernatural way

Example

The old folktale tells of a darkness that lives deep in the forest and feeds on fear.

folktale context: a darkness that lives / feeds on

Lan felt a menacing darkness in the presence of the cruel warlord who ruled the village.

Common collocations
  • forces of darkness
  • powers of darkness
  • darkness within
  • spiritual darkness
  • darkness dwells
  • fight the darkness
Synonyms
  • evil

    more direct and less metaphorical; darkness implies hidden or mysterious malevolence

  • wickedness

    focuses on immoral actions rather than a threatening quality

  • malice

    suggests deliberate intent to harm, which darkness may or may not imply

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the forces / powers of darkness

darkness + dwells / lives / spreads

a darkness + within

Usage Note

Common in religious, mythological, and fantasy contexts. The phrase the forces of darkness is a set expression meaning evil powers. Distinguish from sense 3 (SADNESS): this sense refers to moral evil or supernatural threat, not personal sadness.

Common Mistakes

That politician is a man of darkness' (using it as a personal insult).
The hero fought against the darkness that threatened the kingdom.
This sense is used in symbolic, literary, or religious contexts, not as a direct personal label.

5. a state in which a person or group lacks knowledge, understanding, or education

5.nounC1
Definition

a state in which a person or group lacks knowledge, understanding, or education about something important

Example

Centuries of intellectual darkness followed the fall of the great library.

historical context: centuries of [intellectual] darkness

The teacher's mission was to lead her students out of darkness through education and reason.

metaphor: lead out of darkness into [understanding/education]

Common collocations
  • intellectual darkness
  • centuries of darkness
  • live in darkness
  • darkness of ignorance
  • out of darkness into light
Synonyms
  • ignorance

    more direct and common; darkness suggests a broader, more oppressive state

  • unenlightenment

    formal and rare; implies a historical or cultural lack of learning

  • obscurity

    can overlap but usually refers to being unknown rather than unknowing

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

in + darkness + about + topic

darkness + of + ignorance

living in darkness

Usage Note

Almost always used in metaphorical or formal writing, especially in historical, philosophical, or educational discussions. Frequently paired with phrases like out of darkness into light to describe a transition from ignorance to understanding.

Common Mistakes

I am in complete darkness about how to cook rice.
The local people lived in darkness about modern medicine until the clinic opened.
This sense requires a serious or systemic lack of knowledge, not a trivial everyday gap.
Idioms

pitch darkness

idiom

a state of being so dark that nothing can be seen at all, as if in a sealed room with no light

When the cave entrance collapsed behind them, they were trapped in pitch darkness.

The storm knocked out every light in the town, leaving the streets in pitch darkness.

the forces of darkness

idiom

evil or destructive powers, often described in religions, myths, or fantasy stories as opposing goodness and light

In the ancient myth, the forces of darkness fought a long war against the gods of light.

The novel follows a group of heroes who must unite to defeat the forces of darkness.

darkness falls

idiom

used to describe the moment when night begins and the sky becomes dark

Darkness falls quickly in the tropical rainforest, catching unprepared travellers by surprise.

The children were told to return home before darkness fell on the village.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe the absence of light, but they differ in scope and feel. Gloom suggests a dim, depressing murkiness rather than total blackout — a foggy evening is gloomy, not dark. Shadow is specific to the dark shape cast by an object blocking light; you sit in someone's shadow, but the whole room is not 'in shadow' unless every corner is cast in shade. Obscurity is more formal and broader: it can mean darkness, but more often refers to being unknown or hard to see due to distance, haze, or fog. Night is the most concrete — the regular period of darkness after sunset — but it includes starlight, moonlight, and the rhythms of daily life. Darkness occupies the middle ground: it can be total (pitch darkness) or partial (the darkness of a dim room), and it works equally well for physical, emotional, and metaphorical contexts. For example: 'He vanished into the darkness of the forest' (physical) feels natural, whereas 'He vanished into the gloom of the forest' adds a layer of sadness, and 'He vanished into obscurity' would mean he became unknown.

gloom ↗shadow ↗obscuritynight ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fear of darkness
  • cover of darkness
  • hour of darkness
  • veil of darkness

Adverbs

  • utterly dark
  • completely dark
  • pitch black

Phrases

  • under cover of darkness
  • darkness before dawn
  • powers of darkness

Prepositions

  • in darkness
  • into darkness
  • through the darkness
  • out of the darkness

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Darkness comes from Old English deorcness, a combination of deorc ('dark, obscure, gloomy') and the suffix -ness ('state, condition, quality'). The root deorc can be traced back to Proto-Germanic *derkaz, which is related to Old Saxon derni ('hidden, secret') and Old High German tarchanjan ('to hide, conceal'). The original sense was literally 'absence of light,' but already in Old English the word was used metaphorically for moral blindness, ignorance, and evil — a dual use that has persisted for over a thousand years. By Middle English, the spelling shifted to derknesse and eventually to modern darkness.