black 1 of 3

adjective

ˈblak How to pronounce black (audio)
Definition of blacknext
1
as in ebony
having the color of soot or coal we adopted a little black kitten

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the Friday of the stock market crash was indeed a black day for the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in swarthy
not having a light complexion a black Irishman, Tyrone Power had the classic looks of a Hollywood leading man

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in darkened
being without light or without much light on a black night such as this, the imagination runs wild

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in blackened
not clean after mopping the floor, the water in the bucket was black

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

black

2 of 3

noun

as in blackness
a time or place of little or no light we had to find our way on back roads in the black of night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

black

3 of 3

verb

chiefly British
as in to boycott

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 black
Adjective
Pierce’s brother Wendell (Monte Easter), an up-and-coming lawyer, is busy planning a wedding to a snooty upper-middle-class black woman named Sonia (Gaye Shannon-Burnett, who co-produced the film). — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026 The restaurant looked as if it had been airlifted here from c, and the black lacquer furnishings spotlit the rich greens through the windows. — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
Akon donned different white outfits throughout the evening, while Ne-Yo was predominantly wearing black. — Rashad Alexander august 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026 Pick up these low platforms in a neutral beige or classic black. — Kim Grundy, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for black
  1. ebony
  2. dark
  3. darkened
  4. blackened
  5. blackness
  6. boycott
  7. raven
  8. gray
Adjective
  • The color palette included ebony, black and oak tones.
    — Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 21 June 2026
  • The venerable patriarch is leaning heavily on an ebony cane, and is followed closely by his personal assistant, a bald gnome of a man, armed with a notebook and pencil.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of ebony
Adjective
  • Things take a dark turn, however, after a series of unexplainable deaths draw Hal and John to a small town in Nebraska.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Way back in 2012, Supreme collaborated on another Air Force 1 with a dark green camo canvas upper, box logo hangtag and gum outsole that can hit the $1,000 range on resale platforms.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of blackened
Noun
  • Totality was extraordinary, with a circle of blackness in the sky.
    — Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Experts say that the biggest challenge at that extreme level of blackness is actually measuring it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 June 2026
Definition of blackness
Verb
  • In fact, one of Schleien’s Free Israel videos was directed at American liberals, after a group of Hollywood actors and other film workers signed a letter pledging to boycott some institutions within the Israeli film industry.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The election campaign has been overshadowed by weeks of protests led by the JAAC, which has urged residents to boycott the vote.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of boycott
Adjective
  • Earlier this season, Jackie and Shadow laid four eggs, but two were destroyed during a raven attack.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Earlier this season, the pair laid four eggs, but two were destroyed during a raven attack.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of raven
Adjective
  • Behind him is the main hall, built in 1697 and designated a prefectural cultural property, standing vigil against a slate-gray sky.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The leaves and trunks of my magnolia are covered with gray to brown spots up to an inch or more in diameter?
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of gray

Phrases Containing black

Browse Nearby Words

blabs
black
black-and-white
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/black. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on black

Nglish: Translation of black for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All