: the quality or state of being dark: such as
a
: the total or near total absence of light
There was almost no light when he opened his eyes again. The darkness of night was thick and for a moment he began to panic again.—
Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen
b(1)
: the quality of being dark in shade or color
the darkness of the old wooden floor
the darkness of these blues and greens
: dark color or colors
In O'Donnell's paintings, darkness pre-dominates. If there are bright colors, they are painted over a deep-hued ground.—Richard Kalina
Richard Kalina
(2)
: the quality of being dark in complexion
Few people know the isolation Owens endured during his childhood in Alexander City, Ala. Other kids teased him mercilessly for the darkness of his skin and his beanpole physique.—Jeffri Chadiha
Jeffri Chadiha
c(1)
: a gloomy or depressed state or tone
I'm not suicidal, clinically depressed, or bipolar, but I am subject to mood swings. … I've tried a number of different mental techniques, mostly prayer, visualization, and meditation, but nothing has worked to lighten my darkness.—Will Manley
Will ManleyAnd the other darkness was a tremendous sorrow, a deep sadness that her mother was dead and that the princess could, now, only talk to her in her dreams.—Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamilloWhat, I wondered, did the good man of the cloth make of the reckless humor, the anger and the darkness of those late works?—Russell Banks
Russell Banks
(2)
: evil
From the same source he drew the picture of a heavenly visitor, a god who comes to earth to impart true knowledge … and save humanity from the powers of darkness.—J. Louis Martyn
J. Louis Martyn
(3)
: a lack of knowledge or enlightenment
In 1492, the intellectual darkness that shrouded Europe for centuries was slowly, almost grudgingly lifting.—Bob Fisher
Bob FisherSynonyms
Examples of darkness in a Sentence
the raiding party snuck up under cover of darkness
the darkness of certain passages in the Book of Revelation
let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories
the darkness of that period of my life is best forgotten
Recent Examples on the Web
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The darkness closed around us, and Ted’s teeth gleamed at me out of his parched face.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
Yet, amidst the darkness, a sense of resilience and a sense of hope shines through, reflecting an indomitable spirit.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2024
When we’re finally hit with the revelation of who the killer is, it’s supposed to be the Babylon heart of darkness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 26 June 2024
As the girls grew used to the dark, each could make out the other’s shape; the darkness anyhow seemed thinner up here at the top of the building.
—Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for darkness 
Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
Yet, amidst the darkness, a sense of resilience and a sense of hope shines through, reflecting an indomitable spirit.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2024
When we’re finally hit with the revelation of who the killer is, it’s supposed to be the Babylon heart of darkness.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 26 June 2024
As the girls grew used to the dark, each could make out the other’s shape; the darkness anyhow seemed thinner up here at the top of the building.
—Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 23 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for darkness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'darkness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near darkness
Cite this Entry
“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darkness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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