
in the dark
[Middle English derk, from Old English deorc.]
darkish dark'ish adj.SYNONYMS dark, dim, murky, dusky, obscure, opaque, shady, shadowy. These adjectives indicate the absence of light or clarity. Dark, the most widely applicable, can refer to insufficiency of illumination for seeing (a dark evening), deepness of shade or color (dark brown), absence of cheer (a dark, somber mood), or lack of rectitude (a dark past). Dim suggests lack of clarity of outline: "life and the memory of it cramped,/dim, on a piece of Bristol board" (Elizabeth Bishop). It can also apply to a source of light to indicate insufficiency: "storied Windows richly dight,/Casting a dim religious light" (John Milton). Murky implies darkness, often extreme, such as that produced by smoke or fog: "The path was altogether indiscernible in the murky darkness which surrounded them" (Sir Walter Scott). Dusky suggests the dimness that is characteristic of diminishing light, as at twilight: "The dusky night rides down the sky,/And ushers in the morn" (Henry Fielding). Also, it often refers to deepness of shade of a color: "A dusky blush rose to her cheek" (Edith Wharton). Obscure usually means unclear to the mind or senses, but it can refer to physical darkness: the obscure rooms of a shuttered mansion. Opaque means incapable of being penetrated by light: an opaque window shade ; figuratively it applies to something that is unintelligible: opaque philosophical arguments. Shady refers literally to what is sheltered from light, especially sunlight (a shady grove of pines) or figuratively to what is of questionable honesty (shady business deals). Shadowy also implies obstructed light (a shadowy path) but may suggest shifting illumination and indistinctness: "[He] retreated from the limelight to the shadowy fringe of music history" (Charles Sherman). It can also refer to something that seems to lack substance and is mysterious or sinister: a shadowy figure in a black cape.
adjective
noun
Idioms beginning with dark:
darken someone's door
dark horse
See also in the dark; keep someone in the dark; leap in the dark; shot in the dark; whistle in the dark.
Definition: angry, upset
Antonyms: cheerful, happy, pleased
adj
Definition: evil, satanic
Antonyms: good, moral
adj
Definition: grim, hopeless
Antonyms: bright, brilliant, encouraging, hopeful, shining
adj
Definition: hidden, secret
Antonyms: apparent, distinct, evident, manifest, plain, visible
adj
Definition: lack of light
Antonyms: bright, brilliant, illuminated, light, lucid, luminous, radiant, shining, visible, vivid
adj
Definition: shaded complexion, hair
Antonyms: light
n
Definition: ignorance
Antonyms: cognizance, comprehension, enlightening, intelligence, knowledge, sense, sensibility, understanding
n
Definition: place, time without light
Antonyms: brightness, day, daylight, daytime, illumination, light, lightness, morning
There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.
— Rod Serling, (1924-1975), U.S. actor, producer, screenwriter.
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Like many other common elements of our everyday experience, darkness can represent a wide range of things. As the polar opposite of light, darkness may represent evil, death, fear of the unknown, or feeling lost. Darkness or a dark region in a dream is often symbolic of the unconscious, the womb, or unseen possibilities. As with all dream symbols, the tone and setting of the dream indicate which interpretation is appropriate.
Approaching black; reflecting little light.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - mørk, mørklødet, dunkel, skummel, ond, sort, hemmelig, uoplyst
n. - mørke, mørkets frembrud, uvidenhed, mørktfarvet område
idioms:
Nederlands (Dutch)
donker, zwart/somber, duister, geheim(zinnig), obscuur, onbekend(heid), onwetend(heid), donker- een slag in de lucht
Français (French)
adj. - obscur, noir, ténébreux (un donjon), sombre (une chambre), foncé (une couleur), brun (des cheveux), mystérieux, secret, triste (des pensées)
n. - nuit, obscurité, noir, (fig) (être) dans le noir, dans l'ignorance, à l'aveuglette
idioms:
Deutsch (German)
n. - Dunkel, (Einbruch der) Dunkelheit, Ungewißheit
adj. - dunkel, finster
idioms:
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σκοτάδι, σκότος, άγνοια
adj. - σκοτεινός, βαθύχρωμος, σκούρος, μελαγχολικός, μελαψός, μελαχρινός
idioms:
Italiano (Italian)
buio, incertezza, oscuro, scuro
idioms:
Português (Portuguese)
n. - escuridão (f)
adj. - escuro
idioms:
Русский (Russian)
темнота, неясность, темный, туманный
idioms:
Español (Spanish)
adj. - oscuro, negro como boca de lobo, profundo, hondo, misterioso, desconocido, sombrío, siniestro
n. - oscuridad, tinieblas, incertidumbre, noche, sombra
idioms:
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - mörker
adj. - mörk, mulet
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
黑暗的, 黑色的, 暗的, 黑暗, 黄昏, 夜
idioms:
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 黑暗的, 黑色的, 暗的
n. - 黑暗, 黃昏, 夜
idioms:
한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 어두운, 검은, 분명하지 않은, 둔한, 악한, 방송되지 않은
n. - 어둠, 밤, 분명치 않음, 무지
idioms:
日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 暗い, 濃い, 黒っぽい, 隠された, はっきりしない, 陰うつな, 邪悪な, 無知蒙昧な, 未開の
n. - やみ, 夕暮れ, 夜
idioms:
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) ظلام, ليل, غموض (صفه) مظلم, شرير, عابس
עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - חשוך, אפל, כהה, קודר, עמום, עגום, סודי, מעורפל, רע, מיסתורי, נבער מדעת
n. - חושך, שחור, חוסר ידיעה, שטח כהה של צבע
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