swarthy

[ swawr-th ee, -thee ]

/ ˈswɔr ði, -θi /

adjective, swarth·i·er, swarth·i·est.

(of skin color, complexion, etc.) dark.

Nearby words

Origin of swarthy

1570–80; unexplained variant of obsolete swarty (swart + -y¹)

Related formsswarth·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for swarthiness

In five weeks' time all swarthiness will be removed, and pimples beside.'
The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci|Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky
Berenice was dark, with coloring which inclined to swarthiness; her brow was low, and her eyes small and deeply set.
Hester's Counterpart|Jean K. Baird
His face was dark almost to swarthiness and his cheeks and chin were smoothly shaven.
Golden Days for Boys and Girls, Vol. XIII, Nov. 28, 1891|Various
This was that Talbot, commonly known from his swarthiness as the Crow, who was Ormonde's most trusted lieutenant.
The Path of the King|John Buchan

In singular contrast to a complexion dark almost to swarthiness, his eyes were large and of an intense steel-blue.
The Transgression of Andrew Vane|Guy Wetmore Carryl

British Dictionary definitions for swarthiness

swarthy

/ (ˈswɔːðɪ) /

adjective swarthier or swarthiest

dark-hued or dark-complexioned

Derived Formsswarthily, adverbswarthiness, noun

Word Origin for swarthy

C16: from obsolete swarty, from swart + -y 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for swarthiness

swarthy

adj.

1580s, unexplained alteration of swarty (1570s), from swart + -y (2).