noun
darkness
The absence of light or a state of being dark.
The basement is in complete darkness when the lights fail.
Etymology
The state-noun ending turns dark into the condition it describes. Darkness names the absence of light or the resulting obscurity in a place.
More examples
- Her eyes slowly adjust to the darkness.
- Darkness falls early in winter.
- A single candle breaks the darkness of the room.
Forms
darkness
dark adjective — Having little or no visible light.
darken verb — To become darker or make something darker.
Similar words
- gloom
- Suggests dim light, often with a dreary or depressing atmosphere.
- dimness
- Means weak lighting rather than a total absence of light.