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 Word Forms

• predarkness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of darkness¹

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

Example Sentences

No iPhone glows disturbed the darkness, just snores and the thud of wheels, the occasional whoosh of a passing train tilting us to one side.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And at one point in the City of Light, Spurs were eyeing a stunning triumph until darkness fell on their hopes with a 5-3 defeat.

Read more on BBC

However, Newey is said to have given his former Red Bull colleague a tour of the Aston Martin factory under cover of darkness on Tuesday night.

Read more on BBC

Ms. Smith, by contrast, was less about shock and volume and more concerned with merging introspection, darkness and poetry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And unlike decades ago — when Ramos had to sneak around in darkness to spray-paint his nickname in large, block letters all over the city and surrounding areas — this time it was fully permissible.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bleakness www.thesaurus.com
• despair 
• despondency 
• dysphoria 
• gloom 
• grimness www.thesaurus.com
• melancholy 
• morbidity 
• negativity www.thesaurus.com