lightless

lightless — adjective

  • lightlesspositive
  • more lightlesscomparative
  • most lightlesssuperlative

1. completely dark because no light reaches the place or area being described.

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

completely dark because no light reaches the place or area being described.

Example

The prisoners were kept in a lightless cell for several days.

collocation: lightless cell

Jude stumbled through the lightless hallway, searching for the exit.

collocation: lightless hallway

Common collocations
  • lightless cell
  • lightless hallway
  • lightless room
  • lightless cave
  • lightless corridor
  • lightless basement
  • lightless street
Synonyms
  • dark

    more common and general; less dramatic in tone

  • unlit

    very similar meaning; often used for rooms or streets

  • pitch-black

    more informal and emphatic; describes total darkness

Antonyms

Usage Note

Often used in literary or dramatic contexts to describe enclosed spaces such as cells, basements, caves, or corridors. Less common in everyday conversation, where 'dark' or 'pitch-black' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

The room was lightless even with the lamp on.
The room was dim even with the lamp on.
'lightless' means completely without light, not just poorly lit.

2. describes an object that normally produces or reflects light but currently does

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes an object that normally produces or reflects light but currently does not shine or emit any light.

Example

The moon was lightless on the night of the storm.

collocation: lightless moon

Adisa held the lightless lantern, its wick burned down to nothing.

Common collocations
  • lightless moon
  • lightless lantern
  • lightless lamp
  • lightless lighthouse
  • lightless sky
  • lightless star
Synonyms
  • dim

    less extreme — means giving very little light, not none

  • non-luminous

    more technical or scientific; rarely used in everyday language

  • extinguished

    specifically for flames or lanterns that have been put out

Antonyms
  • luminous

    giving out light; the direct opposite

  • shining

    giving out a steady light

  • glowing

    giving out a warm, soft light

Usage Note

Used for things that are expected to produce light — such as the moon, stars, lamps, or lighthouses — but are not shining. The word implies a contrast between what the object normally does and its current state.

Common Mistakes

The stone was lightless.
The stone was dark.
A stone is not expected to give light, so 'lightless' sounds odd. Reserve 'lightless' for objects that normally shine.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe the absence of light, but they differ in register and degree. 'Dark' is the most common, everyday word — it covers everything from a dim room to a starless night. 'Unlit' is more factual and neutral, often used for rooms, streets, or signs that simply have no light source turned on. 'Pitch-black' is informal and emphatic, stressing total darkness where nothing can be seen at all ('It was pitch-black inside the cave'). 'Lightless' sits between 'unlit' and 'pitch-black' — it is somewhat literary and dramatic, suggesting a space that is noticeably deprived of light, often with a haunting or oppressive feel. Use 'dark' for ordinary situations; use 'lightless' when you want to stress the complete, striking absence of light.

dark ↗unlit ↗pitch-blacklightless ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the noun 'light' (from Old English lēoht, meaning brightness or illumination) and the suffix '-less' (from Old English -lēas, meaning 'without'). The word is first recorded in English around the 14th century and has been used ever since to describe places or objects that have no light.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1