Stygian
[stij-ee-uh n]
- of or relating to the river Styx or to Hades.
- dark or gloomy.
- infernal; hellish.
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Also styg·i·an (for defs 2, 3).
Origin of Stygian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for stygian
dim, misty, murky, shadowy, overcast, somber, cloudy, dingy, gloomy, black, drab, foggy, dull, darkened, jet, slate, onyx, coal, sable, pitchExamples from the Web for stygian
Historical Examples of stygian
Justus Miles was the first to come to, and he found himself in Stygian blackness.
The Heads of ApexFrancis Flagg
She appealed by a gesture to Heaven against the Stygian darkness of my mind.
The Strolling SaintRaphael Sabatini
They snapped off their torches and crouched in Stygian darkness.
The Seed of the Toc-Toc BirdsFrancis Flagg
It was not the sort of night we know on earth, but a Stygian blackness.
The Fire PeopleRay Cummings
The Stygian darkness of his hiatus refused to lift by questioning.
Desert ConquestA. M. Chisholm
Stygian
- of or relating to the river Styx
- mainly literary
- dark, gloomy, or hellish
- completely inviolable, as a vow sworn by the river Styx
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Word Origin for Stygian
C16: from Latin Stygius, from Greek Stugios, from Stux Styx; related to stugein to hate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for stygian
Stygian
"pertaining to Styx or the nether world," 1560s, from Latin Stygius, from Greek Stygios, from Styx (genitive Stygos); see Styx.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper