: the quality or state of being dark: such as
a
: the total or near total absence of light
There was almost no light when he opened his eyes again. The darkness of night was thick and for a moment he began to panic again.—Gary Paulsen
b(1)
: the quality of being dark in shade or color
the darkness of the old wooden floor
the darkness of these blues and greens
: dark color or colors
In O'Donnell's paintings, darkness pre-dominates. If there are bright colors, they are painted over a deep-hued ground.—Richard Kalina
(2)
: the quality of being dark in complexion
Other kids teased him mercilessly for the darkness of his skin and his beanpole physique.—Jeffri Chadiha
c(1)
: a gloomy or depressed state or tone
I've tried a number of different mental techniques, mostly prayer, visualization, and meditation, but nothing has worked to lighten my darkness.—Will Manley
And the other darkness was a tremendous sorrow, a deep sadness that her mother was dead and that the princess could, now, only talk to her in her dreams.—Kate DiCamillo
What, I wondered, did the good man of the cloth make of the reckless humor, the anger and the darkness of those late works?—Russell Banks
(2)
: evil
From the same source he drew the picture of a heavenly visitor, a god who comes to earth to impart true knowledge … and save humanity from the powers of darkness.—J. Louis Martyn
(3)
: a lack of knowledge or enlightenment
In 1492, the intellectual darkness that shrouded Europe for centuries was slowly, almost grudgingly lifting.—Bob Fisher
Cite this Entry
“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darkness. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.
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