darkness

noun

ˈdärk-nəs How to pronounce darkness (audio)
Definition of darknessnext
1
as in dark
a time or place of little or no light the raiding party snuck up under cover of darkness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambiguity
the quality or state of having a veiled or uncertain meaning the darkness of certain passages in the Book of Revelation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in night
the time from sunset to sunrise when there is no visible sunlight let's wait for darkness before telling ghost stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom the darkness of that period of my life is best forgotten

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darkness The Draconids are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, but sky-gazers in the Southern Hemisphere might glimpse a few meteors by looking near the horizon just after darkness falls. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 One major stumbling block of all lunar missions has been the Moon's day, which consists of 14 Earth days of daylight and 14 days of darkness. — David Szondy october 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026 Bridey’s first response to life, even to its darknesses, is laughter. — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026 Then our winter-overs get six months of constant darkness until sunrise in the spring. — Tyce Deyoung, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for darkness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness
  1. dark
  2. ambiguity
  3. night
  4. cloud
  5. shadows
  6. mysteriousness
  7. pall
  8. blackness
Noun
  • For his safety, the former water treatment plant operator isn’t supposed to be on the dock after dark.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly everyone wore black, with plenty of tattoos, webbed, sheer textured layers and sunglasses worn well after dark.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • There is little ambiguity about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aims.
    — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Others, however, like Morissa Schwartz, founder of GenZ Publishing, said the ambiguity might have been deliberate.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambiguity
Noun
  • What transpired in-between the curtain raiser and final pose was much like what had gone down the previous night in Cincinnati, at the first public gig the Beach Boys had done since canceling a slew of dates beginning in July.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Sunday night.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of night
Noun
  • While Sony is expected to eventually announce a PlayStation handheld that natively plays PS5 games on next-gen AMD graphics, its PlayStation Portal streams games instead, either from your home PlayStation or from Sony’s cloud.
    — Jay Peters, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Its clouds of gas and dust form a physical shape resembling an unopened, blooming rosebud, glowing rosy-pink from dust heated by these stars.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cloud
Noun
  • Depending on the time of day and the weather, visitors will see these spaces under different light and cast with varying shadows.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The diagrid also casts cool shadows that shift as the day goes by.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shadows
Noun
  • That intrigue and mysteriousness still rest in the canyon walls today.
    — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of mysteriousness
Noun
  • The Republican candidate has been hobbling through the race, with lackluster fundraising and a long history of personal and legal scandals casting a pall over his candidacy.
    — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The play cast a pall over the rest of the game, but Oregon backup quarterback Dylan Raiola managed to throw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against USC’s defense.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of pall
Noun
  • Nori of a perfect blackness, death-like, without the green glints of more common seaweed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The surf was raging, completely enveloping the craft with only the swaying masts visible in the blackness of the night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of blackness

Browse Nearby Words

darkly
darkness
darks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All