black
/blæk/ (bre, ipa) · [blˈæk] /blæk/ (ame, ipa) · [blˈæk] /ˈblak/ (ame, mw)
black — adjective
- blackpositive
- blackercomparative
- blackestsuperlative
1. having a deep dark colour, similar to soot or a sky with no visible moon
having a deep dark colour, similar to soot or a sky with no visible moon
Yuna picked a black coat for the rainy trip to Seoul.
black + noun for clothing and objects
The puppy had one white paw and soft black fur.
A black car waited outside the hotel all afternoon.
The screen turned black when the battery finally died.
- white
the lightest colour, opposite on the lightness scale
文法句型
black + noun
be + black
用法筆記
This is the basic colour sense. It is used both before nouns and after verbs such as be, turn, or go.
常見錯誤
2. connected with people who are Black, especially in cultural, social, or identity
connected with people who are Black, especially in cultural, social, or identity contexts
The festival celebrated Black music from several generations.
Black + culture noun for identity context
Our class read essays by Black writers from Britain and the US.
The museum opened a new gallery on Black history in London.
Black parents in the area asked for better school transport.
文法句型
Black + noun
用法筆記
In modern edited English, this adjective is often capitalized when it refers to racial or cultural identity. Distinguish it from the noun sense, which can sound harsher in ordinary conversation.
3. used for tea or coffee served plain, with no milk or cream mixed in
used for tea or coffee served plain, with no milk or cream mixed in
Christopher drinks his coffee black during early shifts.
drink + coffee + black
At breakfast, Olivia ordered black tea and buttered toast.
My uncle likes espresso black, with no sugar at all.
The waiter brought black coffee for Tariro and milk tea for Jenna.
文法句型
drink + coffee/tea + black
black coffee/tea
用法筆記
This sense is mainly used with hot drinks, especially coffee and tea. It often appears after the drink noun: coffee black.
4. showing that a situation seems likely to end badly, with little chance of improv
showing that a situation seems likely to end badly, with little chance of improvement
After the flood, Soraya thought the shop's future looked black.
future + look + black
By winter, the town's job prospects seemed black.
With no money left, the family's chances looked black.
The coach said the season looked black after three key injuries.
- bleak
close in meaning, often used for prospects or outlooks
- hopeful
suggesting that a good result is still possible
文法句型
future/prospects/outlook + look/seem + black
用法筆記
This sense often appears with words such as future, prospects, chances, or outlook. It is about the expected result, not about moral evil.
5. morally wicked or intended to cause harm
morally wicked or intended to cause harm
The villagers feared the black magic said to guard the cave.
black magic as an evil-force collocation
The poem warns against black deeds done for easy money.
People still remember the general's black betrayal of the city.
In the legend, a black spirit tempts sailors toward the rocks.
- good
morally right rather than harmful
文法句型
black + deed/hatred/magic
用法筆記
This sense is often literary and appears in fixed combinations such as black magic or black deeds. Distinguish it from sense 4, which is about hopelessness rather than moral wrong.
6. so dark that you cannot see because there is almost no light
so dark that you cannot see because there is almost no light
The hallway was black after the storm cut the power.
be + black for complete darkness
We drove through black mountain roads with no houses nearby.
At midnight, the beach turned black except for the lighthouse.
Without the moon, the garden looked completely black.
- pitch-dark
very close, but more explicitly colloquial
- bright
full of light rather than dark
文法句型
place/sky/road + be/look + black
用法筆記
This sense describes darkness in a place, not the colour of an object. It often appears with roads, skies, rooms, or landscapes.
7. stained with dirt, soot, or oil until it looks dark and filthy
stained with dirt, soot, or oil until it looks dark and filthy
By noon, Christopher's hands were black with engine oil.
be black with + substance
The children came home with black feet after playing outside.
Smoke left the curtains black around the window frame.
After the cave tour, everyone's shoes were black with mud.
- clean
free from dirt or stains
文法句型
be black with + dirt/oil/mud
用法筆記
This sense usually describes skin, clothes, or surfaces after contact with dirt, smoke, or oil. It is different from the basic colour sense because the blackness comes from grime.
8. showing deep anger, resentment, or hostility in the face or mood
showing deep anger, resentment, or hostility in the face or mood
Tariq gave his brother a black look across the dinner table.
black look for visible anger
She left the meeting in a black mood after the insult.
The coach's face turned black when the team ignored his plan.
A black silence filled the room after the accusation.
- calm
free from visible anger or resentment
文法句型
black look/mood
face/look + turn + black
用法筆記
This sense is literary and often appears with look, mood, face, or silence. It is about visible hostility rather than dirt or darkness.
9. using jokes about death, crime, or other grim subjects rather than treating them
using jokes about death, crime, or other grim subjects rather than treating them seriously
The nurse's black joke made the tired interns laugh.
black joke about grim subject matter
His black humour appears whenever the conversation turns to funerals.
The film uses black comedy to talk about war and grief.
Stephanie enjoys novels with black humour and unhappy endings.
- dark
the more common term in American English
文法句型
black humour/comedy/joke
用法筆記
British English strongly favours black humour, while American English more often says dark humor. The idea is not simple sadness but joking about disturbing topics.
black — noun
- blacksingular
- blacksplural
1. the darkest colour, the shade of coal or a sky with no moon
the darkest colour, the shade of coal or a sky with no moon
Black goes well with silver in formal clothes.
black as a colour noun
The designer used black to make the logo look sharper.
Her notebook came in blue, green, and black.
For the poster, Caio chose black against a pale background.
- white
the lightest colour, opposite of black
文法句型
in black
use black
用法筆記
As a noun, black often appears when choosing, mixing, or comparing colours. Distinguish it from sense 5, where black means black clothes worn for mourning.
2. a film, photo, or visual style that uses only black, white, and shades of grey
a film, photo, or visual style that uses only black, white, and shades of grey
The photographer printed the portrait in black and white.
in black and white for image style
The opening scene works better in black and white.
Their wedding album mixed colour shots with black and white pages.
Old television dramas in black and white still feel powerful.
- monochrome
broader technical term for one-colour visual work
- colour
full-colour images rather than black-and-white ones
文法句型
in black and white
用法筆記
This sense usually appears in the phrase in black and white when talking about photography, film, television, or print images.
3. a Black person; this noun is common in some official or historical contexts but
a Black person; this noun is common in some official or historical contexts but can sound harsh in ordinary conversation
Older laws separated whites and Blacks on city buses.
historical use as plural identity noun
The report counted Blacks, Asians, and Latinos in the sample.
formal category use in reports
The article explained why some activists reject the noun Black.
The survey asked how many Blacks lived in the district in 1960.
文法句型
a Black
Blacks
用法筆記
Writers often prefer Black person or Black people in everyday prose. The noun form appears more in statistics, historical quotations, or discussions about racial labels themselves.
4. complete darkness, or a place where almost no light reaches
complete darkness, or a place where almost no light reaches
The campers sat in black until the fire caught.
in black meaning in darkness
A small phone light cut through the black under the bridge.
After the candles went out, the room sank into black.
We waited in the black until the rescue boat arrived.
文法句型
in the black
sink into black
用法筆記
This use is more literary than the ordinary noun darkness. It often appears in dramatic descriptions of night, caves, power cuts, or empty spaces.
5. black clothes worn, especially to show grief after a death
black clothes worn, especially to show grief after a death
At the funeral, every adult in the front row wore black.
wear black for mourning
The family stayed in black for several weeks after the burial.
She arrived in black to honour her late teacher.
In that village, widows once wore black for a full year.
文法句型
wear black
be in black
用法筆記
This sense is about clothing, often in funeral or mourning traditions. Distinguish it from noun sense 1, where black simply names the colour.
6. the side or set of dark pieces in games such as chess or draughts
the side or set of dark pieces in games such as chess or draughts
Lucía chose black and moved her king's pawn first.
choose black in chess
In chess club, Rin usually plays black against stronger students.
play black as the dark side
Black defended patiently until the white queen blundered.
After lunch, Ilan took black for the second game.
- white
the opposing light-coloured side in the same game
文法句型
play black
take black
用法筆記
This sense names the player or pieces on the dark side of the board. It is especially common in chess writing and commentary.
black — verb
- blackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- blacks3rd person singular
- blacking-ing form
- blackedpast simple
1. to cover something with a dark substance, or to turn it black
to cover something with a dark substance, or to turn it black
The stage crew blacked the windows before the film screening.
black + object
Smoke from the fire blacked the kitchen ceiling overnight.
Workers blacked the old gate with fresh paint before dawn.
Years of candle soot blacked the stone above the fireplace.
文法句型
black + object
object + black with age/smoke
用法筆記
This verb often appears in practical contexts such as paint, smoke, soot, or stage preparation. The transitive use is far more common than the intransitive one.
2. for a union or group to boycott goods, companies, or people by refusing to deal
for a union or group to boycott goods, companies, or people by refusing to deal with them
The union blacked the company after it fired two organizers.
union black + company
Dock workers blacked the shipment until the safety dispute ended.
Several printers blacked the paper for publishing hate slogans.
The federation threatened to black any contractor ignoring wage rules.
- boycott
the everyday modern verb for this idea
文法句型
black + goods/company/person
用法筆記
This use belongs mainly to labour and political language. It means an organized refusal to handle or support something, not simply a personal dislike.