darkest
darkest — noun
1. the state of a place where there is barely enough light to make out any shapes o
the state of a place where there is barely enough light to make out any shapes or see things clearly
Theo could not see his own hand in the darkest of the old basement.
the darkest of [place] — superlative noun phrase for an unlit space
A single match briefly lit the darkest before the flame went out.
The darkest of the cave was so complete that Chidi felt he had gone blind.
Even the darkest corner of the abandoned house felt less scary with Talia by his side.
Mayumi searched the darkest of the attic but found nothing except old papers.
- light
the presence of illumination that makes things visible
- brightness
a high level of light, the opposite of darkness
文法句型
the darkest of [place/area]
in the darkest
用法筆記
This sense always uses 'the' before 'darkest' (never 'a darkest'). The pattern 'the darkest of + place' is the most common structure. The noun is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb.
常見錯誤
2. the time when the sun is down and the sky stays dark, from late evening through
the time when the sun is down and the sky stays dark, from late evening through the middle of the night until early morning
Noa always finished delivering the newspapers before the darkest, when the streets grew quiet and empty.
before the darkest — time-marker meaning 'before nightfall'
The darkest of the night brought a deep cold to the desert camp.
Farmers in this region begin their work before the darkest lifts each morning.
Salma waited until the darkest to leave the house and walk to the station.
The darkest of winter is long here, with barely six hours of daylight.
文法句型
the darkest of [season/period]
in/at the darkest
before/after the darkest
用法筆記
Distinguish this sense from sense 1 (ABSENCE OF LIGHT): sense 1 refers to the physical condition of an unlit space, while this sense refers to a specific time period — the hours after sunset. Common time expressions are 'before the darkest', 'after the darkest', and 'the darkest of [season]'.
常見錯誤
darkest — adjective
- darkestpositive
- more darkestcomparative
- most darkestsuperlative
1. receiving almost no light at all, making it hard or impossible to see things aro
receiving almost no light at all, making it hard or impossible to see things around you — like a basement without windows or a path in the woods on a moonless night.
The room was so dark that Diya could not see her own hands.
be + dark + so...that clause
Takeshi turned on a lamp because the study corner was too dark to read.
A dark narrow alley ran between the old bakery and the apartment building.
The forest path is dark and narrow, so Andrés always carries a torch when he walks home.
文法句型
dark + noun
be + dark
常見錯誤
2. closer in shade to black than to white — used for colours, hair, eyes, or skin t
closer in shade to black than to white — used for colours, hair, eyes, or skin that carry little lightness.
Minh wore a dark green sweater that matched the pine trees behind the house.
dark + colour word: dark green
Lisa has dark brown eyes that look almost black in bright sunlight.
The kitchen walls were painted a dark blue that made the white cabinets stand out.
People with fair skin often choose a dark lipstick for evening events.
Vinícius picked a dark wooden table for the dining area because it hides stains well.
- light
pale in colour; opposite of dark when describing shades
文法句型
dark + colour word
dark + noun (hair/eyes/skin)
用法筆記
When describing colour, 'dark' usually precedes another colour word (dark blue, dark red) rather than standing alone.
常見錯誤
3. filled with sadness or despair, with no sense that things will get better — like
filled with sadness or despair, with no sense that things will get better — like a person going through a very hard time in life.
After losing his job and home in the same month, Leo went through a dark period.
collocation: dark period
Salma's novel paints a dark picture of life in a refugee camp during the war.
The mood inside the hospital waiting room was dark and tense as families waited for news.
Those were the darkest days of Arjun's childhood, but his grandmother's stories gave him hope.
文法句型
dark + period/time noun
be + dark + preposition
用法筆記
This sense is often used with time-related nouns (days, period, moment, phase) to describe a difficult stretch in someone's life or in history.
4. describes the tone of a book, film, play, or joke that focuses on painful, frigh
describes the tone of a book, film, play, or joke that focuses on painful, frightening, or serious subject matter — as opposed to light entertainment that avoids difficult topics.
Mathieu enjoys dark comedies where the humour comes from serious topics like illness or death.
collocation: dark comedy / dark humour
The director is known for her dark films about family secrets and personal betrayal.
Adisa wrote a dark fantasy novel set in a world where children never grow up.
Some viewers could not finish the series because the story became too dark for their taste.
- light
cheerful and entertaining; a light comedy makes you laugh without discomfort
文法句型
dark + art/literature noun
dark + humour noun
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used for creative works and their tone. It describes the SUBJECT of the work itself, not the audience's emotional reaction (which is covered by sense 3).
5. morally bad or frighteningly wicked — used about people, spirits, magical powers
morally bad or frighteningly wicked — used about people, spirits, magical powers, or the side of a person that wants to hurt others.
In the story, a dark wizard tries to control the whole kingdom with black magic.
attributive: dark + agent noun (wizard)
William believed that every person has both a light and a dark side inside them.
The villagers feared the dark figure at the edge of the forest each night.
Ilan refused to join the corrupt deal because he sensed something dark behind the offer.
文法句型
dark + force/noun
dark + side/soul
be + dark (of a person)
用法筆記
This sense often appears in fantasy, mythology, and moral discussions. Distinguish from sense 3 (SAD AND HOPELESS): a 'dark moment' is sad; a 'dark soul' is evil.
6. kept hidden from others, especially because it involves something shameful, ille
kept hidden from others, especially because it involves something shameful, illegal, or private that a person does not want discovered.
The politician's dark past caught up with him when old documents were made public.
collocation: dark past / dark secret
Every family seems to have a few dark secrets that nobody talks about at dinner.
The journalist spent years uncovering the dark dealings of the construction company.
Diya discovered a dark corner of the city where stolen goods were traded after midnight.
- open
not concealed; available for everyone to see
文法句型
dark + secret/noun
用法筆記
This sense always implies concealment with negative connotations (shame, crime, dishonesty). Unlike sense 5 (EVIL), the thing itself may not be evil — it is the secrecy that defines this sense.
7. describes a person, group, or era that has little education or understanding of
describes a person, group, or era that has little education or understanding of the wider world — for instance, a time when few people could read and most new ideas never reached them.
Before books became widely available, even wealthy people lived in a dark age of superstition and ignorance.
collocation: dark age — a period of ignorance
The explorers described the remote village as a dark place where no one had heard of modern medicine.
collocation: dark place — lacking knowledge or modern ideas
Ziad's textbook described the post-empire era as a dark age when few could read and cities shrank.
The novel portrays the early Middle Ages as a dark era when scientific thinking was almost unknown.
- ignorant
more common in everyday speech; 'dark' is more literary or historical
- unenlightened
formal; emphasises lack of cultural or intellectual development
- backward
often has a negative, dismissive tone about a society or region
- enlightened
having knowledge and understanding gained through education
- educated
general term for having received schooling or training
用法筆記
Often used in the fixed phrases 'dark age(s)' and 'dark era' to describe a historical period of intellectual stagnation.
常見錯誤
8. describes speech or writing that is hard to follow because its meaning is not cl
describes speech or writing that is hard to follow because its meaning is not clearly expressed or it refers to little-known subjects — for example, a dense academic paper that assumes specialist knowledge.
Scholars have debated the dark passage in the ancient poem for centuries without agreeing on its meaning.
collocation: dark passage — unclear or hard-to-understand text
The philosopher's later writings are dark and puzzling, filled with references no one can identify.
predicative: be dark and puzzling — describing unclear writing
The poem uses a dark style that hides its true meaning behind layers of old-fashioned words.
Roya's grandmother told her a folk tale whose dark meaning she only understood years later.
The old legend contains a dark prophecy that has been interpreted in many different ways.
- clear
easy to understand
- straightforward
simple and not complicated
用法筆記
This sense is formal and primarily describes writing, speech, or explanations. It is rarely used for simple everyday confusion.
常見錯誤
9. describes a theatre, cinema, or performance venue that is not operating or open
describes a theatre, cinema, or performance venue that is not operating or open to the public on a particular day or for a period of time.
The National Theatre is dark on Mondays, so the cast has the day off to rest.
collocation: theatre is dark — closed for performances
All Broadway theatres will go dark for two weeks while the musicians' union negotiates a new contract.
phrasal collocation: go dark — stop performances entirely
Manuela checked the cinema website and saw that it was dark for renovations until September.
The old playhouse stayed dark for three years before a community group raised money to reopen it.
- open
offering performances and welcoming the public
用法筆記
Primarily used in the entertainment industry (theatres, cinemas, concert halls). 'Go dark' is the most common fixed expression. Not used for shops or offices.