inky
inky — adjective
- inkypositive
- inkiercomparative
- inkiestsuperlative
1. marked or stained with ink, so that the ink shows on the surface of something
marked or stained with ink, so that the ink shows on the surface of something
Tariq wiped his inky fingers on a rag after refilling the printer.
collocation: inky fingers
Amelia found an inky thumbprint on the corner of her letter.
The old bottle left an inky ring on the wooden desk.
Bao's sleeve was inky where it touched the wet newspaper.
Lauren scrubbed the inky stain off the classroom floor.
- ink-stained
more specific and literal; 'ink-stained fingers' emphasises visible stains
- smudged
broader — can be with ink, paint, or dirt; less specific about the substance
- clean
free of any marks or stains
文法句型
be + inky
inky + noun
用法筆記
Typically describes a surface, body part, or object that has come into contact with wet ink. Not used for neatly printed text or dry ink on paper.
常見錯誤
2. extremely dark, like the colour of black ink — used for describing night, deep w
extremely dark, like the colour of black ink — used for describing night, deep water, shadows, or very dark colours
Iris looked up at the inky sky and spotted the North Star.
collocation: inky sky
Valentina could barely see the path in the inky darkness of the forest.
The kitten had inky black fur and bright green eyes.
James swam in the inky water of the lake at midnight.
Meera remembered the inky blackness of the cave entrance.
- pitch-black
more common in speech; emphasises total, absolute darkness with nothing visible
- jet-black
mainly for describing hair, fur, or fabric colour, not darkness of a scene
- dark
the most general and neutral word; lacks the poetic quality of 'inky'
文法句型
inky + noun
be + inky
用法筆記
Commoner in written, literary, or descriptive English than in everyday speech. Often carries a poetic or dramatic tone. Not used for ordinary darkness (e.g. a dim room) — reserves for deep, total, or impressive darkness.