INKY Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

inky

adjective

Definition of inky

as in dusky

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in sludgy

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 inky Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin. — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026 Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 The dress in question was an inky black number that featured a delicate lace bodice, a super plunging neckline with a layer of sheer fabric, a figure-hugging silhouette, and an opaque floor-grazing skirt. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026 Sizes span 24-31, and washes range from Nocturne black and ecru Soap Stone to light and inky shades of indigo. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2026 Besides being interesting on their own, some of these distant cometlike bodies have odd orbits that hint at the existence of another major planet out there in the inky black. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026 In a paper published on Wednesday in Nature, Emerson and his colleagues report that these inky blemishes are a kind of transmissible skin cancer — one that appears to spread from catfish to catfish. — Ari Daniel, NPR, 22 July 2026 This major price cut gives you access to flagship OLED performance and brings a rare opportunity for movie enthusiasts, esports players, and streaming families to capture inky blacks and vibrant highlights. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 21 July 2026 Travelers can hike or bike along the waterway while enjoying the inky black skies above. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inky

Adjective

Species like white sharks, dusky sharks and sand tiger sharks are known to hunt in shallow water near shore.

— Heather McCarron, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
As the sun dips behind the canyon walls, the desert cools down rapidly, creating another window to head back out for a dusky hike.

— Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of dusky

Adjective

While most of the building is from the Spanish colonial period, portions of the foundation are made of puddled adobe, an Indigenous building technique that is believed to date back to around 1200.

— Dan Fellner, AZCentral.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Frail elderly women, swathed in headscarves and saris, worshipped while sitting on puddled pavement near corroded metal changing lockers plastered with ads for Glow & Lovely skin cream.

— Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026

Definition of puddled

Adjective

On top of the moving-camera-foamy-dark-mouth challenge, there was the plaque challenge.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Finley’s breakout was the 2017 dark comedy Thoroughbreds, in which Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy play high-schoolers conspiring to kill an abusive stepfather.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

There is the muddled terrorist plot, the corrupt politician, the love interest who looks thirty to fifty years Breen’s junior; in fact, there are arguably two of them, and at least one is responsible for the betrayal .

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Xabi Alonso’s Madrid, for stretches of last season, looked tactically muddled and defensively exposed.

— Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of muddled

Adjective

But while it’s been proven effective at tasks like brightening dingy whites and descaling coffee makers, does vinegar also work on bathroom odors, bacteria, and buildup?

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 24 Aug. 2026
Nothing ages a bathroom like tile that is dingy, dull, or black with mold and mildew.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of dingy

Adjective

The presence of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, deep sleeper Kaytron Allen and White may make the Commanders backfield murkier than the Reflecting Pool, but their roles are clearer than most suspect.

— Brad Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
The situation is also murky for those living outside their favorite team’s region.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of murky

Adjective

The Jays don’t need their entire lineup to click when the American League is so muddied, and the wild-card race is so wide open.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
During a nearly four-hour Friday hearing in Mecklenburg County small claims court, Jackson and Agape’s attorneys parsed through a muddied timeline that involved verbal agreements between Ball, Jackson and either Cam Newton or his father, Cecil Newton.

— Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026

Definition of muddied

Adjective

One argument for televising the Simpson trial was that cameras would give the public an unfiltered view of the proceedings, without relying on third-party accounts.

— Addie Morfoot, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
That willingness to be unfiltered and unapologetic in her perspectives is the heartbeat of Pearce’s fifth studio album Honest Woman, out today on BBR Music Group/BMG.

— Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of unfiltered

Browse Nearby Words

inks

inky

inlaid

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Inky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inky. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of inky

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes