the dark

noun
UK: /ðə dɑːk/
US: /ðə dɑːrk/

  1. The absence of light; a place where there is little or no light.

    1. I am scared of the dark, so I use a nightlight. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cat disappeared into the dark, making it hard to see where it went. [ ] [ ]

  2. Nighttime; the period from sunset to sunrise when there is no sunlight.

    1. The stars shine brightly in the dark, when the sun is gone. [ ] [ ]
    2. We drove home after sunset and got lost in the dark on unfamiliar roads. [ ] [ ]

  3. A mysterious or unknown situation.

    1. We were kept in the dark about the project's real goals, and it was frustrating. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company's finances were revealed to be in the dark, leading to many questions. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

obscurity shadow twilight gloom night
the dark adjective

  1. Relating to something mysterious, evil, or unknown.

    1. He has a dark secret that he doesn't want anyone to find out. [ ] [ ]
    2. The old house had a dark history, filled with stories of ghosts and sadness. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "the dark" in English means: The absence of light; a place where there is little or no light., Nighttime; the period from sunset to sunrise when there is no sunlight., A mysterious or unknown situation..

The phonetic transcription of "the dark" is /ðə dɑːk/ in British English and /ðə dɑːrk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "the dark": obscurity, shadow, twilight, gloom, night.

Example usage of "the dark": "I am scared of the dark, so I use a nightlight.". More examples on the page.