dark

Word family  noun dark darkness adjective dark darkened darkening verb darken adverb darkly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++dark1 /dɑːk $ dɑːrk/ ●●● S2 W1 adjective (comparative darker, superlative darkest)  1  no light 无光的DARK if it is dark, there is little or no light 昏暗的；黑暗的 OPP light The church was dark and quiet. 教堂里黑魆魆的，寂静无声。 the dark winter days 阴暗的冬日 Suddenly, the room went dark (=became dark). 房间突然变暗了。 It gets dark (=night begins) about ten o'clock. 大约十点钟开始天黑。 It was still dark (=was night) when we boarded the train. 我们上火车时天还是黑的。 It was pitch dark (=completely dark) in the attic. 阁楼上漆黑一片。2  colour 颜色COLOUR/COLOR quite close to black in colour 暗色的，深色的 OPP light, pale There were dark clouds in the sky. 天空中有乌云。 men in dark suits 穿深色套装的男士 a slightly darker colour 略深一点的颜色dark blue/green/pink etc a dark blue dress 一件深蓝色的连衣裙► see thesaurus at colour3  hair/eyes/skin 头发/眼睛/皮肤HBH someone who is dark has hair, eyes, or skin that is brown or black in colour 〔头发、眼睛或皮肤〕褐色的，黑色的 OPP fair a tall, dark man 身材高大、皮肤黝黑的男人 John’s dark skin and eyes 约翰的深色皮肤和褐色眼睛4  mysterious 神秘的 mysterious or secret 神秘的；隐秘的 a dark secret 隐藏的秘密keep something dark British English (=keep something secret) 将某事保密 Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark. 据说他有个儿子，但他把这件事藏得很隐秘。5  evil 邪恶的BAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS evil or threatening 邪恶的；阴险的，恶毒的 There was a darker side to his character. 他的性格里有阴暗的一面。 a place where so many dark deeds had been committed 曾经罪恶横行的地方 the dark forces of the universe 宇宙的邪恶力量6  unhappy time 不快乐的时光UNHAPPY a dark time is unhappy or without hope 黑暗的；无望的 the dark days of the war 那段黯淡的战争岁月 Even in the darkest moments, I still had you, my love. 即使在最无望的时候我还有你，亲爱的。7  feelings/thoughts 情感/思想SAD/UNHAPPY if you have dark feelings or thoughts, you are very sad or worried 忧愁的，忧郁的；担忧的 a dark depression 阴沉的抑郁 her darkest fears 她最深的恐惧8  humour 幽默 dark humour deals with things that are bad or upsetting in a funny way 黑色的 SYN black the dark humor common in difficult situations 常见于困境中的黑色幽默9. darkest Africa/South America etc NOT KNOW old-fashioned the parts of Africa etc about which we know very little – this use is now often considered offensive 非洲/南美等鲜为人知的地方〔这一用法现常被认为具冒犯性〕 THESAURUSdark if a place is dark, there is little or no light 昏暗的；黑暗的The room was very dark. 房间里很黑。nNo, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark.It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon. 这是个漆黑的夜晚,云层遮住了月亮。dimly-lit a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright 〔建筑或场所〕灯光昏暗的a dimly-lit restaurant 一间昏暗的餐厅The church was dimly lit. 教堂里灯光昏暗。dim a dim light is fairly dark 〔光线〕昏暗的，微弱的The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting. 这种相机即使在昏暗的光线下也能拍出优质照片。The evening sky grew dim. 傍晚的天空暗了下来。darkened a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn 〔房间或建筑尤因关上灯或拉上窗帘而〕变暗的The prisoner lay in a darkened room. 犯人躺在暗下来的房间里。nThe play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.gloomy a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful 〔场所或房间〕光线不好的,阴暗的The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke. 酒吧里光线阴暗,有股污浊的雪茄味。murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water 〔尤指水〕混浊的the murky waters of the lake 混浊的湖水nI could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seen 漆黑的It was pitch-dark inside the shed. 棚屋里漆黑一片。shady a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it 背阴的It was nice and shady under the trees. 树下阴凉舒适。They found a shady spot for a picnic. 他们找了一处阴凉的野餐地。

Examples from the Corpus

dark• Thick curtains covered the windows and the room was very dark.• No, you can't play outside, it's too dark.• Anyone who disobeyed him ran the risk of getting beaten up in a dark alley, or even killed.• The passageway to the cordoned-off Alsbach canal was wet and dark, and I was glad to have a flashlight.• Wings longer and narrower than Buzzard; tail longer, with similar dark band at tip.• She has beautiful dark brown eyes.• I shrank back into the darkest corner of the room, and prayed that the soldiers would not see me.• With her piercing sharp dark eyes, she presented a formidable impression.• His songs are dark, intelligent, and have a message for our time.• But the cracked panes reveal a dark Interior echoing with the cries of children.• ""What do you think of this blouse?'' ""It's a bit dark -- navy doesn't really suit you.''• It was a dark night and he was afraid they might get lost if they went across the fields.• The snow drifted down, muffling the sounds of the party, the fireworks spluttering, falling damply into the dark night.• Once again, you navigate dark passageways and hostile environments, killing everything that moves.• the dark side of his personality• dark streets• I looked at the guy: dark suit; about thirty-four; heavyset.• It was a tragedy she had never imagined in her darkest thoughts.• If you're going to have such dark walls I really think you should have a pale carpet.• So many dark windows where some one could be watching, and what if a car came along?went dark• Her eyes burned, and the cell went dark. 3.• All the instruments, the mast head, bow, and stern lights went dark.• Eustis's chest caved, his eyes went dark.• The city streets were magic again, like they were when stoplights went dark after the quake.• Suddenly, the room went dark and somebody screamed.• Then the river went dark, except the little of it running red by their island in the torch light.• The brewery at St. James's Gate reverted to the Rainsfords and went dark for ten whole years.• Before it went dark he took Cousin Noreen on a tour of the garden.dark blue/green/pink etc• Midway between sun and stagnant water he blazed in his glorious colors of putrefaction dark green, dark blue, black.• The lane between Somersby and Harrington is very harrow and, in summertime, shaded by dark green foliage.• Tiny dark green lily pads with purplish undersides.• The thatch of what remained of the subsided roof was streaked with the dark green of lichen.• In the valleys, you find a darker green of trees and the euphorbias that mimic our cactuses.• If the plant grows emersed, the leaves are dark green, stiff, leathery, sappy and very acutely branched.• He wore a dark blue suit, a white shirt, and a red knitted tie.dark2 ●●● S3 W3 noun  1  the dark DARKwhen there is no light, especially because the sun has gone down 黑暗，无光〔尤指夜晚〕 my childish fear of the dark 我对黑暗孩子般的恐惧in the dark I turned off the light and lay there in the dark. 我关了灯，在黑暗中躺在那儿。 We stood outside in the pitch dark (=when there is no light at all). 我们站在黑漆漆的屋外。► see thesaurus at colour2  after/before/until dark TMCafter, before, or until the sun goes down at night 天黑以后/天黑以前/直到天黑 I want you home before dark. 我要你天黑前回家。3  in the dark informalNOT KNOW knowing nothing about something important, because you have not been told about it 全然不知 We’re in the dark just as much as you are. 我们和你们一样，什么都不知道。 College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation. 此次调查丝毫未向学院行政人员透露。 → a shot in the dark at shot1(10)

Examples from the Corpus

dark• He had the impression that there wasn't much left of the still figure in the dark.• And she gets up in the night and sits by the telephone in the hall in the dark.• There's nowhere to hang in the dark.• Many more settlements, houses and trailers, side roads disappearing into the dark, than there were years ago.Origin dark1 Old English deorc

dark1 adjective →THESAURUS1dark2 nounLDOCE OnlineChinese  

there is if little Corpus dark, it is

dark

I

dark¹ S2 W1 /dɑːk $ dɑːrk/ adjective (comparative darker, superlative darkest)1.  NO LIGHT if it is dark, there is little or no light
   OPP  light:
    The church was dark and quiet.
    the dark winter days
    Suddenly, the room went dark (=became dark).
    It gets dark (=night begins) about ten o'clock.
    It was still dark (=was night) when we boarded the train.
    It was pitch dark (=completely dark) in the attic.
2.  COLOUR quite close to black in colour
   OPP  light, pale:
    There were dark clouds in the sky.
    men in dark suits
    a slightly darker colour
    dark blue/green/pink etc
    a dark blue dress
3.  HAIR/EYES/SKIN someone who is dark has hair, eyes, or skin that is brown or black in colour
   OPP  fair:
    a tall, dark man
    John’s dark skin and eyes
4.  MYSTERIOUS mysterious or secret:
    a dark secret
    keep something dark British English (=keep something secret)
    Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark.
5.  EVIL evil or threatening:
    There was a darker side to his character.
    a place where so many dark deeds had been committed
    the dark forces of the universe
6.  UNHAPPY TIME a dark time is unhappy or without hope:
    the dark days of the war
    Even in the darkest moments, I still had you, my love.
7.  FEELINGS/THOUGHTS if you have dark feelings or thoughts, you are very sad or worried:
    a dark depression
    her darkest fears
8.  HUMOUR dark humour deals with things that are bad or upsetting in a funny way
   SYN  black:
    the dark humor common in difficult situations
9. darkest Africa/South America etc old-fashioned the parts of Africa etc about which we know very little - this use is now often considered offensive
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ dark if a place is dark, there is little or no light: The room was very dark. | No, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark. | It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon.
   ▪ dimly-lit a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright: a dimly-lit restaurant | The church was dimly lit.
   ▪ dim a dim light is fairly dark: The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting. | The evening sky grew dim.
   ▪ darkened a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn: The prisoner lay in a darkened room. | The play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
   ▪ gloomy a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful: The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
   ▪ murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water: the murky waters of the lake | I could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.
   ▪ pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seen: It was pitch-dark inside the shed.
   ▪ shady a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it: It was nice and shady under the trees. | They found a shady spot for a picnic.

II

dark² noun1. the dark when there is no light, especially because the sun has gone down:
    my childish fear of the dark
    in the dark
    I turned off the light and lay there in the dark.
    We stood outside in the pitch dark (=when there is no light at all).
2. after/before/until dark after, before, or until the sun goes down at night:
    I want you home before dark.
3. in the dark informal knowing nothing about something important, because you have not been told about it:
    We’re in the dark just as much as you are.
    College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.
⇨ a shot in the dark at shot¹(10)
     

THESAURUS

■ dark colours
   ▪ dark used about a colour that is strong and fairly close to black: a dark blue suit | His eyes are dark brown.
   ▪ deep fairly dark – often used when you think this colour looks attractive: His eyes were a beautiful deep blue. | deep red lips
   ▪ rich used about a colour that is fairly dark in a way that gives a pleasant feeling of warmth: The walls were painted a rich red colour.