When light fades away and darkness takes over, how do you describe it? Is it mysterious or spooky? Does it make your skin crawl or give you comfort? Dark has many connotations and colours our world in various ways.
Everyone experiences darkness differently which makes describing dark an interesting task. To help navigate some of the feelings associated with the deep shades of night, here’s a comprehensive list of adjectives to use when describing dark.
20 Adjectives for Dark
1- Ebony
2- Dim
3- Stygian
4- Pitchy
5- Gloomy
6- Waning
7- Sable
8- Inky
9- Clouded
10- Dreary
11- Shadowy
12- Obscure
13- Tenebrous
14- Sunset
15- Dusk
16- Dusky
17- Pitch
18- Shades
19- Murky
20- Midnight
Related: Adjectives That Start With D
Words To Describe Dark
Gloomy
Meaning: Dark and depressing in appearance or atmosphere.
Example: The room had a gloomy atmosphere with dim lighting.
Murky
Meaning: Dark and unclear, often with sediment or cloudiness.
Example: The murky water made it impossible to see below.
Shadowy
Meaning: Full of shadows; dark and mysterious.
Example: He walked down the shadowy alley, feeling uneasy.
Obscure
Meaning: Not clearly seen or understood; darkened.
Example: His intentions remained obscure throughout the conversation.
Dim
Meaning: Lacking brightness; obscure in perception.
Example: The dim light barely illuminated the room.
Dusky
Meaning: Somewhat dark in a way that is often mysterious or attractive.
Example: They arrived home at dusk, greeted by dusky skies.
Dreary
Meaning: Dull, bleak, and lifeless; dark and depressing.
Example: The dreary weather matched her somber mood.
Shaded
Meaning: Protected from direct light; partially darkened.
Example: They enjoyed lunch in the shaded corner of the garden.
Pitch-black
Meaning: Completely dark; without any light.
Example: The cellar was pitch-black, impossible to navigate.
Shadowed
Meaning: Covered with shadow; darkened.
Example: Her face was shadowed, hiding her expression.
Blackened
Meaning: Darkened by burning or charring.
Example: The walls were blackened by the fire’s heat.
Eclipsed
Meaning: Hidden from view; darkened by an eclipse.
Example: The moon was eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow.
Crepuscular
Meaning: Relating to or resembling twilight; dim or indistinct.
Example: Crepuscular animals emerge during the twilight hours.
Stygian
Meaning: Extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding.
Example: The cave’s entrance led into a stygian abyss.
Tenebrous
Meaning: Dark and gloomy; obscure and murky.
Example: The tenebrous forest was shrouded in mist.
Umbral
Meaning: Relating to a shadow or darkness; overshadowed.
Example: The room lay in the umbral depths of the castle.
Cimmerian
Meaning: Very dark or gloomy; relating to the underworld.
Example: The cimmerian depths of the cave were unsettling.
Ravenous
Meaning: Extremely hungry; famished or voracious.
Example: After the hike, they were ravenous and devoured their meal.
Opaque
Meaning: Not transparent; not allowing light to pass through.
Example: The windows were opaque, blocking any view outside.
Nightfall
Meaning: The onset of darkness at the end of the day.
Example: They set up camp at nightfall, under a starry sky.
Synonyms of Dark
1- Obscure
2- Gloomy
3- Dim
4- Misty
5- Dreary
6- Murky
7- Somber
8- Dismal
9- Shadowy
10- Tenebrous
11- Blackened
12- Inky
13- Frowning
14- Glowering
15- Caliginous
16- Blackish
17- Pitched
18- Ominous
19- Stygian
20- Tunneled
