DARKNESS Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

darkness

noun

ˈdärk-nəs

Definition of darkness

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

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

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

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 In a move to combat the darkness of the original space, Levin opened up the staircase and placed a large window at the base. — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026 The show’s name was inspired by the scientific name for the nightshades family of plants and the paintings had fragments of darkness. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 The central regions of the Antarctic ice sheet have low winds, long winter darkness and an exceptionally clear, stable atmosphere. — Daniella McCahey, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 With one second left and the game almost being called by darkness, Palos Verdes kicker Niko Dragin attempted a 51-yard field goal that could have tied the score. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for darkness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkness

Noun

The good news is that the winds are expected to lay down after dark.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Look toward the eastern and southeastern sky after dark for its steady yellowish light.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dark

Noun

Building an international band that includes Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, and a whistler, the Australian guitarist shapes longform spells of emotional and musical ambiguity.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
These are precisely the capacities organizations rely on when employees are being asked to learn new systems, reconsider priorities, navigate ambiguity and make decisions in unfamiliar circumstances.

— Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambiguity

Noun

But Saturday night showed a way for the offense to play complementary football even with the unit’s inability to run the ball.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026
The series was postponed due to weather on Friday night, pushing both Games 4 and 5 back one day each.

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of night

Noun

Tall thunderstorm clouds will be affected by those changing winds and rotate.

— Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
Other parts of government already contract out rocket launches, cloud storage, satellite intelligence and artificial-intelligence analysis to the tech sector.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of cloud

Noun

These games are also lighter in terms of ray-tracing demands, running on the first versions of the technology, which were widely toggleable and focused on more realistic reflections and shadows.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026
The autumn sun is drifting southward and the angle of shadows is shifting.

— Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of shadows

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

Browse Nearby Words

darkly

darkness

darks

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Style

“Darkness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkness. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of darkness

noun

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