darkness

[ dahrk-nis ]

noun

1. the state or quality of being dark:

   The room was in total darkness.

2. absence or deficiency of light:

   the darkness of night.

3. wickedness or evil:

   Satan, the prince of darkness.

4. obscurity; concealment:

   The darkness of the metaphor destroyed its effectiveness.

5. lack of knowledge or enlightenment:

   heathen darkness.

6. lack of sight; blindness.

Other Words From

• pre·darkness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of darkness¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English derknesse, Old English deorcnysse; equivalent to dark + -ness

Example Sentences

The Darth Vader density distribution is so highly packed on the four- or five-level of darkness, but it doesn’t mean that he can’t every now and then have these moments where things slip through, and he saves his son’s life, who he cares about.

From Nautilus

The shadows resemble the lines of darkness, known as crepuscular rays, that you’ll often see around clouds lit from behind by the sun.

From Nautilus

Failing to pass another round could mean “we’re going back into the economic darkness, we’re going back into recession,” he declares.

From Fortune

It’s an old saying that you can’t have light without darkness, and for the universe it’s also very much true that you can’t have darkness without light.

From Nautilus

You take your seat just in time and wait for the darkness to swallow you up.

From MIT Technology Review

And then that chorus kicks in, and the young lady formerly known as Lizzy Grant transforms into the princess of darkness.

From The Daily Beast

“Light trumps darkness, hope beats despair, grace wins over sin, love defeats hate, life conquers death,” the cardinal said.

From The Daily Beast

The city of Stanleyville—now called Kisangani—was a majestic port city as deep as one can go into the Heart of Darkness.

From The Daily Beast

But when the darkness closes in, we actually run to fairy tales and fables.

From The Daily Beast

He was kept in total darkness, kept cold, had music blasted at him and was shackled and hooded.

From The Daily Beast

A few, very few, little dots had run back over that green patch—the others had passed down into the world of darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

In the darkness and confusion I did not distinguish the face of the man who rendered me this assistance.

From Project Gutenberg

The sudden pall of darkness in this strange house of mystery was just a tiny bit awesome.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus night fell, and darkness settled down about him, relieved only by the red glow of the logs smouldering on the hearth.

From Project Gutenberg

He thus decoyed them away, and the fortunate couple were enabled to reach the British lines under cover of the darkness.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bleakness
• despair
• despondency
• dysphoria
• gloom
• grimness
• melancholy
• morbidity
• negativity