dark

English

/dɑɹk/, /dɑːk/

adj
Definitions
  • Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
  • (of colour) Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.
  • Hidden, secret, obscure.
  • Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malign.
  • Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
  • Lacking progress in science or the arts; said of a time period.
  • With emphasis placed on the unpleasant aspects of life; said of a work of fiction, a work of nonfiction presented in narrative form or a portion of either.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English derk inherited from Old English deorc (dark, cheerless, sinister, without light, horrible, dreadful, wicked, sad, gloomy, obscure) inherited from *derk (dark) derived from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (dim, darken, dull), *dʰer- (hold, support, dirty, dull, bear, roar, hod, hum, drone).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*dʰer-

Gloss

hold, support, dirty, dull, bear, roar, hod, hum, drone

Concept
Semantic Field

Possession

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

熊

Emoji
👫 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms