darkly

[dahrk-lee]

adverb

1. so as to appear dark.

2. vaguely; mysteriously.

3. in a vaguely threatening or menacing manner.

   He hinted darkly that we had not heard the last of the matter.

4. imperfectly; faintly.

Word History and Origins

Origin of darkly¹

before 1000; Middle English derkly, Old English deorclīce (in figurative sense only). See dark, -ly

Example Sentences

“Bloodline” reminds me of the breed of darkly comic postwar novels by Robert Coover, William H. Gass, Harry Crews and others, in which regional manias stand in for a broader national lunacy.

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The exultation of Falla’s “Fire Dance” from “The Three-Cornered Hat” was tempered by a propulsive but darkly tinged last movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.

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This darkly comic tale of a family preparing for the end of the world is one of Gothic excess.

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That loss becomes the driving force of the doc, with Maron’s grief informing his daily life and thought process, while also providing cathartic, darkly humorous fodder for his stand-up gigs.

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And in the chain of events her departure causes, Anderson dives headfirst into the film’s more intimate elements, presenting a soulful and darkly humorous counterpart to the film’s cold, violent first act.

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Related Words

• desperately 
• sadly