Synonyms of dark

dark 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdärk 

1

as in darkened

being without light or without much light

a dark alley that most people wisely avoided

Synonyms & Similar Words

• darkened
• murky
• black
• dim
• somber
• obscured
• sombre
• dimmed
• obscure
• dusky
• darkish
• dusk
• gloomy
• lightless
• unlit
• darkling
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• darksome
• tenebrous
• stygian
• pitchy
• caliginous
• grey
• misty
• rayless
• gray
• shady
• twilit
• moonless
• crepuscular
• shadowy
• tenebrific
• clouded
• starless
• dulled
• pale
• dull
• cloudy
• lackluster
• foggy
• leaden
• sunless
• smoggy
• fuliginous
• shadowlike
• soupy
• beclouded
• befogged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• bright
• luminous
• brilliant
• lighted
• illuminated
• lit
• shining
• lucid
• lucent
• illumined
• sparkling
• radiant
• incandescent
• brightened
• lightsome
• resplendent
• glowing
• glaring
• effulgent
• lambent
• alight
• shiny
• glossy
• beamy
• beaming
• lustrous
• aglitter
• moonlit
• sunlit
• ultrabright
• relucent
• spotlit
• agleam
• highlighted
• moony
• ablaze
• starlit
• spotlighted
• floodlit
• floodlighted

2

as in black

not having a light complexion

he was tall, dark, and handsome

Synonyms & Similar Words

• black
• brunette
• swarthy
• swart
• brunet

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• pale
• ashen
• pallid
• ashy
• sallow
• pasty
• wan
• peaked
• peaky
• palish

3

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

her mind was filled with dark thoughts until the results of the medical test came back as negative

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bleak
• darkening
• somber
• lonely
• depressing
• depressive
• desolate
• murky
• gray
• grey
• cold
• black
• solemn
• lonesome
• morbid
• blue
• miserable
• gloomy
• chill
• sombre
• depressed
• wretched
• sad
• dreary
• cheerless
• dismal
• cloudy
• sullen
• funereal
• morose
• oppressive
• melancholy
• lugubrious
• drear
• dire
• sepulchral
• elegiac
• forlorn
• glum
• comfortless
• saturnine
• disconsolate
• tenebrous
• dim
• godforsaken
• dull
• elegiacal
• desperate
• unhappy
• dreich
• plutonian
• sunless
• Cimmerian
• negative
• grim
• hopeless
• melancholic
• mournful
• tenebrific
• menacing
• low
• dejected
• distressful
• distressing
• discouraging
• woebegone
• mirthless
• woeful
• droopy
• down
• upsetting
• inconsolable
• pessimistic
• sorrowful
• despondent
• discomfiting
• dispiriting
• drab
• dismaying
• hangdog
• disheartening
• colorless
• lamentable
• plaintive
• dour
• threatening
• louring
• lowering
• loury
• lowery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bright
• friendly
• cheerful
• festive
• gay
• cheery
• comforting
• cordial
• sunshiny
• merry
• joyous
• joyful
• gay
• jolly
• buoyant
• optimistic
• mirthful
• blithe
• hopeful
• encouraging
• heartwarming
• cheering
• blithesome
• jocund
• lighthearted
• lightsome

4

as in silent

given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge

the actor was always quite dark about his life before his arrival in Hollywood

Synonyms & Similar Words

• silent
• quiet
• close
• secretive
• uncommunicative
• reticent
• prudent
• closemouthed
• discreet
• tight-mouthed
• reserved
• taciturn
• clandestine
• tight-lipped
• secret
• stealthy
• furtive
• sneaky
• surreptitious
• undercover
• covert
• underhanded
• sneak
• underhand
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open
• communicative
• frank
• honest
• candid
• blunt
• outspoken
• up-front
• out-front
• tactless

5

as in ambiguous

having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning

the superhero was not daunted by the villain's dark threats

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambiguous
• cryptic
• obscure
• mysterious
• murky
• mystic
• enigmatic
• enigmatical
• esoteric
• opaque
• vague
• unclear
• deep
• occult
• questionable
• nebulous
• inscrutable
• elliptic
• uncertain
• arcane
• elliptical
• equivocal
• fuliginous
• confusing
• obscurant
• Delphic
• eerie
• shadowy
• weird
• fuzzy
• foggy
• complicated
• misty
• faint
• hazy
• dim
• uncanny
• shaded
• double-edged
• indistinct
• muddy
• difficult
• shrouded
• cloudy
• cloaked
• abstruse
• eery
• recondite
• masked
• disguised
• concealed
• clouded
• indirect
• invisible
• complex
• undefined
• inexplicable
• incomprehensible
• indefinite
• undetermined
• indecipherable
• indistinguishable
• impenetrable
• puzzling
• perplexing
• inexact
• unknowable
• intangible
• baffling
• shadowlike
• obscurantic
• noncommittal
• impalpable
• unfathomable
• mystifying
• bedimmed
• sphinxlike
• confounding
• beclouded
• inappreciable
• obfuscatory
• unanswerable
• inexplicit
• befogged
• obtuse
• roundabout
• bewildering
• circuitous
• obnubilated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clear
• obvious
• plain
• accessible
• bright
• certain
• distinct
• unambiguous
• unequivocal
• evident
• understandable
• strong
• legible
• intelligible
• comprehensible
• sure
• firm
• direct
• nonambiguous
• defined
• knowable
• pellucid
• visible
• determined
• definite
• explicit
• exact
• straightforward
• fathomable
• appreciable
• self-evident
• tangible
• self-explanatory
• palpable
• unmistakable
• blatant
• patent

6

as in ignorant

lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books

is known as a dark period in European history when people lived in ignorance, fear, and want

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ignorant
• simple
• benighted
• inexperienced
• uneducated
• innocent
• untutored
• untaught
• unschooled
• illiterate
• rude
• nonliterate
• unread
• uninstructed
• unlearned
• naive
• unlettered
• analphabetic
• green
• stupid
• foolish
• naïve
• unsophisticated
• unknowledgeable
• functionally illiterate
• lowbrow
• uncultured
• dumb
• artless
• idiotic
• uncultivated
• semiliterate
• silly
• unskilled
• moronic
• callow
• idiotical
• imbecilic
• untrained
• raw
• witless
• imbecile
• innumerate
• brainless
• senseless
• philistine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• brilliant
• intelligent
• knowledgeable
• literate
• educated
• smart
• lettered
• experienced
• expert
• intellectual
• trained
• well-informed
• familiar
• sophisticated
• erudite
• learned
• scholarly
• well-read
• schooled
• cultured
• aware
• cultivated
• acquainted
• highbrow
• polymathic
• polyhistoric
• polymath

7

as in evil

not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable

dark deeds that resulted in the Russian czar being known to history as Ivan the Terrible

Synonyms & Similar Words

• evil
• sinful
• immoral
• unlawful
• vicious
• bad
• vile
• wicked
• rotten
• ugly
• wrong
• villainous
• obscene
• nefarious
• cruel
• infamous
• corrupt
• dirty
• iniquitous
• unsavory
• offensive
• illegal
• unauthorized
• unethical
• cursed
• improper
• nasty
• unrighteous
• sordid
• infernal
• naughty
• forbidden
• condemned
• disreputable
• prohibited
• sick
• contemptible
• depraved
• ill
• ignoble
• objectionable
• despicable
• fallen
• base
• loose
• unhealthy
• perverted
• atrocious
• mean
• ungodly
• pernicious
• miserable
• unwholesome
• degenerate
• dishonest
• debauched
• noxious
• pestilential
• snide
• dissolute
• low
• incorrect
• debased
• reprehensible
• barred
• unclean
• wretched
• scrofulous
• discouraged
• unscrupulous
• libertine
• censurable
• unseemly
• indecent
• blameworthy
• vulgar
• evil-minded
• outlawed
• lousy
• proscribed
• unprincipled
• curst
• low-minded
• reprobate
• errant
• execrable
• erring
• unbecoming
• dishonorable
• cussed
• indecorous
• disallowed
• blamable
• banned
• defiling
• interdicted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• good
• right
• high
• moral
• sublime
• decent
• virtuous
• ethical
• honest
• righteous
• noble
• upright
• just
• honorable
• legal
• lofty
• legitimate
• elevated
• reputable
• scrupulous
• permitted
• permissible
• principled
• white
• clean
• proper
• licensed
• authorized
• correct
• decent
• approved
• allowed
• endorsed
• pure
• perfect
• promoted
• high-minded
• sanctioned
• supported
• exemplary
• innocent
• decorous
• law-abiding
• encouraged
• seemly
• wholesome
• creditable
• blameless
• commendable
• guiltless
• immaculate
• spotless
• chaste
• worthy
• inoffensive
• incorruptible
• unobjectionable
• venerable
• uncorrupted
• indorsed
• irreproachable
• unerring
• respected
• abetted
• esteemed
• lily-white
• unfallen
• squeaky-clean
• upstanding

dark

2 of 2

noun

1

as in shadows

a time or place of little or no light

I have a bad habit of running into tables in the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shadows
• black
• darkness
• blackness
• night
• dusk
• twilight
• gloom
• midnight
• candlelight
• murk
• semidarkness
• shade
• gloaming
• umbra
• blackout
• dullness
• dulness
• dimness
• somberness
• murkiness
• half-light
• grayness
• cloudiness
• paleness
• haziness
• umbrage
• gloominess
• faintness
• mistiness
• brownout
• shadiness
• dimout
• fogginess

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• glow
• day
• daylight
• brightness
• glare
• brilliance
• blaze
• moonlight
• sunlight
• lightness
• starlight
• sunshine
• radiance
• shine
• luminescence
• luminosity
• luminance
• effulgence
• radiancy
• incandescence
• luminousness

2

as in night

the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight

we were going to wait until dark to go trick-or-treating

Synonyms & Similar Words

• night
• nighttime
• darkness
• midnight
• dusk
• evening
• twilight
• nightfall
• gloaming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• day
• daytime
• dawn
• sunrise
• daybreak
• morning
• forenoon
• noon
• midday
• afternoon
• sunup
• noonday
• noontide
• noontime
• high noon

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dark different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of dark are ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic, equivocal, obscure, and vague. While all these words mean "not clearly understandable," dark implies an imperfect or clouded revelation often with ominous or sinister suggestion.

muttered dark hints of revenge

In what contexts can ambiguous take the place of dark?

The meanings of ambiguous and dark largely overlap; however, ambiguous applies to language capable of more than one interpretation.

an ambiguous directive

When might cryptic be a better fit than dark?

While in some cases nearly identical to dark, cryptic implies a purposely concealed meaning.

cryptic hints of hidden treasure

When could enigmatic be used to replace dark?

The synonyms enigmatic and dark are sometimes interchangeable, but enigmatic stresses a puzzling, mystifying quality.

enigmatic occult writings

When can equivocal be used instead of dark?

The words equivocal and dark are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, equivocal applies to language left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading.

moral precepts with equivocal phrasing

When is obscure a more appropriate choice than dark?

In some situations, the words obscure and dark are roughly equivalent. However, obscure implies a hiding or veiling of meaning through some inadequacy of expression or withholding of full knowledge.

obscure poems

When would vague be a good substitute for dark?

While the synonyms vague and dark are close in meaning, vague implies a lack of clear formulation due to inadequate conception or consideration.

a vague sense of obligation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dark

Adjective

Walch told me about an old study that sounds like every new parent’s fantasy, in which healthy people were confined to a dark room for 14 hours a day. —Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025

In her place was a much younger person, with dark, warm eyes, thinly pencilled brows, and a wide, shiny forehead. —Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

Noun

Avoid traveling after dark in Kenya due to crime and poor traffic safety. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025

Once carved and plated, each slice is draped on one end in a yellow veil of béarnaise from a copper pot, and on the other end in wine-dark bordelaise. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025

Phrases Containing dark

• in the dark
• shot in the dark