Darkness
/ˈdɑːrknəs/
Definitions
3 meaningsThe absence of light; the state of being dark.
/ˈdɑːrknəs/
The state of being without light.
The darkness of the cave made it difficult to see.
💡 Simply: Imagine you turn off all the lights. Darkness is when you can't see because there's no light. It's like when it's nighttime!
👶 For kids: When there is no light, like when you close your eyes or it's night time.
More Examples
She switched off the lights, and darkness fell upon the room.
The approaching storm brought an early darkness.
How It's Used
"The room was plunged into darkness when the power went out."
"The author used darkness to create a sense of mystery and foreboding."
"Astronomers study the darkness of space to understand the universe."
A lack of knowledge, understanding, or awareness.
/ˈdɑːrknəs/
Lack of knowledge or understanding; ignorance.
The novel explored the darkness of human nature.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, people don't understand things. That lack of understanding, or not knowing enough, can also be called darkness.
👶 For kids: When you don't know something, like when you don't understand a puzzle.
More Examples
The darkness of their ignorance prevented them from making a good decision.
He struggled to break free from the darkness of despair.
How It's Used
"The darkness of their ignorance was appalling."
"The Dark Ages were a period of intellectual darkness in Europe."
Evil or wickedness; a state of moral corruption.
/ˈdɑːrknəs/
Evil or wickedness.
The story depicted the battle between light and darkness.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, people do bad things. Darkness can also mean the bad or evil things people do.
👶 For kids: When people are mean or do bad things.
More Examples
The darkness of war brought suffering to many.
She fought against the darkness in her own heart.
How It's Used
"The novel portrayed the darkness of the villain's heart."
"The hero fought against the darkness that threatened the world."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
in the dark
Without knowledge or information.
"We were kept in the dark about the project's progress."
dark ages
A period of decline or ignorance, often referring to the Early Middle Ages in European history.
"The destruction of libraries after the war ushered in another dark age for the region."
dark horse
An unexpected winner or contender.
"The candidate was considered a dark horse, but he won the election."
From Old English *deorcnes* (darkness, obscurity), from *deorc* (dark) + *-nes* (suffix forming nouns of quality).
Used extensively in literature and religious texts to symbolize both physical obscurity and moral or spiritual ignorance and evil.
Memory tip
Think of closing your eyes in a room – that is darkness.
Word Origin
"absence of light, dark"