dark

1 adjective

1 PLACE a dark place is one where there is little or no light: The church was dark and quiet. | I waited for them in a dark alley. | go dark (=become dark): Suddenly, the room went dark and somebody screamed.

—opposite light 3 (3)

2 COLOUR not light or pale in colour: dark blue/green/pink etc: a dark blue dress

—opposite light 3 (1)

3 it gets dark when it gets dark in the evening the light disappears and night begins: Come on, let's go in, it's getting dark.

4 HAIR/EYES someone who is dark has hair and eyes that are black or brown: a tall, dark man

—opposite fair 1 (5)

5 THREATENING/MYSTERIOUS ETC threatening, mysterious, or evil: the dark forces of the night | There was a darker side to his character.

6 FEELINGS/THOUGHTS dark thoughts are sad and show that you think something very bad may happen: I sat there gloomily, thinking dark thoughts.

7 keep sth dark informal to keep something secret: You're getting married! You kept that dark!

8 UNHAPPY TIME a dark time is unhappy or without hope: in the dark days of the war | Even in the darkest moments, I still had you, my love.

9 dark horse

a) someone who people do not know much about who surprises everyone by winning a competition

b) BrE someone who does not tell people much and who has surprising qualities or abilities: She's a dark horse. I didn't know she'd written a novel.

10 darkest Africa/South America etc old-fashioned the parts of Africa etc about which we know very little

—see also: pitch­black 2 noun (U)

1 the dark a situation in which there is no light: Children are sometimes afraid of the dark. | in the dark: Be careful if you're walking home in the dark.

2 after dark at night: Some of my friends won't go out after dark.

3 before dark before the time when it gets dark at night: You can go out, but make sure you come home before dark.

4 be in the dark informal to know nothing about something important because you have not been told about it: Well, I'm afraid we're in the dark as much as you are. | keep sb in the dark: The public was kept in the dark about the assassination attempt.

—see also: a shot in the dark shot 1 (14)