From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdarkdark1 /dɑːk $ dɑːrk/ ●●● S2 W1 adjective (comparative darker, superlative darkest) 1 no lightDARK 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 colourCOLOUR/COLOR quite close to black in colour OPP light, pale There were dark clouds in the sky. men in dark suits a slightly darker colourdark blue/green/pink etc a dark blue dress► see thesaurus at colour3 hair/eyes/skinHBH 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 eyes4 mysterious mysterious or secret a dark secretkeep something dark British English (=keep something secret) Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark.5 evilBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS 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 timeUNHAPPY 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/thoughtsSAD/UNHAPPY if you have dark feelings or thoughts, you are very sad or worried a dark depression her darkest fears8 humour dark humour deals with things that are bad or upsetting in a funny way SYN black the dark humor common in difficult situations9 → darkest Africa/South America etcTHESAURUSdark if a place is dark, there is little or no lightThe 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 brighta dimly-lit restaurantThe church was dimly lit.dim a dim light is fairly darkThe 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 drawnThe 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 cheerfulThe bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.murky dark and difficult to see through – used especially about waterthe murky waters of the lakeI could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.pitch-dark/pitch-black completely dark, so that nothing can be seenIt 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 itIt was nice and shady under the trees.They found a shady spot for a picnic.
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.darkdark2 ●●● S3 W3 noun 1 → the dark2 → after/before/until dark3 → in the dark → 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 