unlit

adjective

un·​lit ˌən-ˈlit 

: not lighted: such as

a

: not kindled or ignited

an unlit fire

an unlit cigar

b

: not illuminated with light

unlit roads

an unlit stairway

Synonyms

• black
• caliginous
• dark
• darkened
• darkish
• darkling
• darksome
• dim
• dimmed
• dusk
• dusky
• gloomy
• lightless
• murky
• obscure
• obscured
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• pitchy
• rayless
• somber
• sombre
• stygian
• tenebrific
• tenebrous

Examples of unlit in a Sentence

she stumbled over something in the unlit hallway

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news In the unlit depths of the ocean, where food is scarce, and chance encounters are rarer still, anglerfish have evolved one of nature’s most bizarre mating approaches. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2025

These frigid, unlit craters may contain frozen water—a key mystery for future study. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

After about a half-hour, the truck stopped behind an unlit home overlooking Russian positions a few kilometers away. —C.j. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

The part of Menchaca Road that has several bars is unlit and does not have sidewalks. —Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1764, in the meaning defined above