I. dark 1 S2 W1 /dɑːk $ dɑːrk/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative darker , superlative darkest )
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ dark , darkened, darkening; noun : ↑ dark , ↑ darkness ; verb : ↑ darken ; adverb : ↑ darkly ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: deorc ]
1 . NO LIGHT if it is dark, there is little or no light OPP light :
The church was dark and quiet.
the dark winter days
Suddenly, the room went dark (=became dark) .
It gets dark (=night begins) about ten o'clock.
It was still dark (=was night) when we boarded the train.
It was pitch dark (=completely dark) in the attic.
2 . COLOUR quite close to black in colour OPP light , pale :
There were dark clouds in the sky.
men in dark suits
a slightly darker colour
dark blue/green/pink etc
a dark blue dress
3 . HAIR/EYES/SKIN someone who is dark has hair, eyes, or skin that is brown or black in colour OPP fair :
a tall, dark man
John’s dark skin and eyes
4 . MYSTERIOUS mysterious or secret:
a dark secret
keep something dark British English (=keep something secret)
Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark.
5 . EVIL evil or threatening:
There was a darker side to his character.
a place where so many dark deeds had been committed
the dark forces of the universe
6 . UNHAPPY TIME a dark time is unhappy or without hope:
the dark days of the war
Even in the darkest moments, I still had you, my love.
7 . FEELINGS/THOUGHTS if you have dark feelings or thoughts, you are very sad or worried:
a dark depression
her darkest fears
8 . HUMOUR dark humour deals with things that are bad or upsetting in a funny way SYN black :
the dark humor common in difficult situations
9 . darkest Africa/South America etc old-fashioned the parts of Africa etc about which we know very little - this use is now often considered offensive
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THESAURUS
▪ dark if a place is dark, there is little or no light:
The room was very dark.
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No, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark.
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It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon.
▪ dimly-lit a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright:
a dimly-lit restaurant
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The church was dimly lit.
▪ dim a dim light is fairly dark:
The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting.
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The evening sky grew dim.
▪ darkened a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn:
The prisoner lay in a darkened room.
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The play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
▪ gloomy a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful:
The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
▪ murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water:
the murky waters of the lake
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I could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.
▪ pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seen:
It was pitch-dark inside the shed.
▪ shady a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it:
It was nice and shady under the trees.
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They found a shady spot for a picnic.
II. dark 2 BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ dark , darkened, darkening; noun : ↑ dark , ↑ darkness ; verb : ↑ darken ; adverb : ↑ darkly ]
1 . the dark when there is no light, especially because the sun has gone down:
my childish fear of the dark
in the dark
I turned off the light and lay there in the dark.
We stood outside in the pitch dark (=when there is no light at all) .
2 . after/before/until dark after, before, or until the sun goes down at night:
I want you home before dark.
3 . in the dark informal knowing nothing about something important, because you have not been told about it:
We’re in the dark just as much as you are.
College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.
⇨ a shot in the dark at ↑ shot 1 (10)
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THESAURUS
■ dark colours
▪ dark used about a colour that is strong and fairly close to black:
a dark blue suit
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His eyes are dark brown.
▪ deep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive:
His eyes were a beautiful deep blue.
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deep red lips
▪ rich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth:
The walls were painted a rich red colour.