swarthy

[ swawr-th ee, -thee ]

/ ˈswɔr ði, -θi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR swarthy ON THESAURUS.COM

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 swarthy

How could she, so blonde, be living with these swarthy people?
Rescued by Racism: The Blonde Maria and the Dark Roma|Tunku Varadarajan|October 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The swarthy, slender, tidily groomed ex-AT&T salesman from Oklahoma appeared calm as the verdicts were read.
Sweat-Lodge Guru’s Homicide Verdict|Terry Greene Sterling|June 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Where is Sarah Palin when Arizona writes harassment of the swarthy into state law?
The Tea Party's Immigration Hypocrisy|Peter Beinart|April 30, 2010|DAILY BEAST
A gleam of ferocity passed across the swarthy face of Panther.
The Frontiersmen|Gustave Aimard

Peering at him sideways from the corners of the hansom, they could see the quick pallor of his swarthy face.
The King of Diamonds|Louis Tracy
Slowly the strong and swarthy sailors of the Patria rowed the party to the shore.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
No one but a god, or one of the swarthy elves themselves, could have found this hidden opening, but Loki knew it well.
Stories from Northern Myths|Emilie Kip Baker
Both of them had faces that were in strong contrast to the swarthy Latin-American countenances about them.
The Key to Yesterday|Charles Neville Buck

British Dictionary definitions for swarthy

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 swarthy