darkly
Americanadverb
-
so as to appear dark.
-
vaguely; mysteriously.
-
in a vaguely threatening or menacing manner.
He hinted darkly that we had not heard the last of the matter.
-
imperfectly; faintly.
Etymology
Origin of darkly
before 1000; Middle English derkly, Old English deorclīce (in figurative sense only). See dark, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Satirical swipes at US culture, darkly comic interactions between characters and a huge range of optional side activities were all present once again.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Aside from some darkly comic moments, it’s a grim show, driven by righteous fury and at times not an easy watch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
The dogs “look as tired as the men as they make their way through the darkly painted trees.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Its baroque, acoustic sounds of a pastoral countryside in ye olde England mesh disturbingly well with softly sung, darkly opaque lyrics.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
“I knowed it,” she muttered darkly without a hint of what it was she knew.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
