27 Idioms for Darkness: Shedding Light

Darkness has always had a mysterious allure, capturing our imagination and evoking a sense of the unknown.

In this listicle, we will delve into idioms for darkness, uncovering their meanings and shedding light on their usage. Join us on this enlightening journey through expressions that illuminate the world of language.

What is an idiom for darkness?

Idioms are phrases or expressions that convey meanings beyond the literal interpretation of their individual words.

When it comes to idioms for darkness, these expressions often reflect the enigmatic, obscure, or hidden aspects of life.

Let’s explore a list of idioms related to darkness, along with their meanings and usage:

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
In the dark	Uninformed or unaware of something.	He was completely in the dark about the surprise party.
Pitch black	Extremely dark or completely lacking in light.	The cave was pitch black, requiring flashlights to navigate.
The black of night	The darkest part of the night with minimal light.	They ventured into the forest during the black of night.
Nightfall	The onset of night or evening twilight.	Stars began to appear as nightfall descended.
Under the cover of darkness	Secretly or discreetly doing something during the night.	The thieves operated under the cover of darkness.
In the dead of night	During the deepest and darkest part of the night.	Strange noises came from the woods in the dead of night.
As dark as coal	Completely black or devoid of light.	The tunnel was as dark as coal, making it hard to see.
As dark as night	Extremely dark, lacking visible light.	The forest at midnight was as dark as night, requiring flashlights.
As black as pitch	As dark as pitch, a thick, black substance.	The room was as black as pitch when the power went out.
As black as the ace of spades	Extremely black or dark.	The storm clouds were as black as the ace of spades.
As black as coal	Very dark, like the color of coal.	The night sky was as black as coal, with no stars visible.
As black as the night sky	Completely dark, as in a moonless night.	Without streetlights, the road was as black as the night sky.
Inky black	As dark as ink, which is very dark.	The lake looked inky black under the tree’s shadow.
In the shadow of night	During the nighttime or under the cover of darkness.	Nocturnal animals emerge in the shadow of night.
In the depths of darkness	In the darkest and most obscure places.	The treasure was hidden in the depths of darkness within the cave.
In the pitch of night	In the darkest part of the night.	Eerie sounds echoed through the forest in the pitch of night.
A blanket of darkness	A thick and all-encompassing darkness.	The city was shrouded in a blanket of darkness during the blackout.
Wrapped in darkness	Completely surrounded by darkness.	The haunted mansion seemed wrapped in darkness, devoid of life.
In the blackness of night	In the complete absence of light during the night.	They were lost in the blackness of night, struggling to find their way.
Cloaked in darkness	Hidden or concealed in darkness.	The mysterious figure moved silently through the forest, cloaked in darkness.
Lost in the dark	Confused or unable to find one’s way in the dark.	Without a flashlight, they were lost in the dark woods.
A veil of darkness	A layer or cover of darkness.	As the sun set, a veil of darkness descended upon the town.
Drowning in darkness	Overwhelmed or consumed by darkness.	His mind felt like it was drowning in darkness after the trauma.
Dark as the abyss	Extremely dark and seemingly endless, like the abyss.	The cave was dark as the abyss, with no visible end.
Dark as a dungeon	Extremely dark and oppressive, like a dungeon.	The basement was as dark as a dungeon, making them hesitant to go down.
Dark as midnight	As dark as the middle of the night.	The room felt like midnight, even though it was only evening.
Dark as a moonless night	Extremely dark with no moonlight.	The forest was as dark as a moonless night, requiring flashlights.

Darkness is like a heavy blanket that hides the world’s secrets, shrouding everything in obscurity. For more comparisons to describe darkness, you can check this link: Similes for darkness. And if you want to explore various metaphors related to darkness, you can visit this link: Metaphors for darkness.

Idioms for Darkness

1. In the dark

Meaning: To be uninformed or unaware of something.
In a Sentence: He was completely in the dark about the surprise party planned by his friends.

2. Pitch black

Meaning: Extremely dark or completely lacking in light.
In a Sentence: The cave was pitch black, and we needed flashlights to navigate its depths.

3. The black of night

Meaning: The darkest part of the night when very little light is visible.
In a Sentence: They ventured into the forest only to find themselves surrounded by the black of night.

4. Nightfall

Meaning: The onset of night or the evening twilight.
In a Sentence: As nightfall descended, the stars began to appear in the sky.

5. Under the cover of darkness

Meaning: To do something secretly or discreetly during the night.
In a Sentence: The thieves operated under the cover of darkness to break into the museum.

6. In the dead of night

Meaning: During the deepest and darkest part of the night.
In a Sentence: He heard strange noises coming from the woods in the dead of night.

7. As dark as coal

Meaning: Completely black or devoid of light.
In a Sentence: The tunnel was as dark as coal, making it difficult to see.

8. As dark as night

Meaning: Extremely dark and lacking in any visible light.
In a Sentence: The forest at midnight was as dark as night, and they relied on their flashlights to find their way.

9. As black as pitch

Meaning: As dark as a substance like pitch, which is nearly black and thick.
In a Sentence: The room was as black as pitch when the power went out.

10. As black as the ace of spades

Meaning: Extremely black or dark.
In a Sentence: The storm clouds were as black as the ace of spades, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

11. As black as coal

Meaning: Very dark, like the color of coal.
In a Sentence: The night sky was as black as coal, and not a single star could be seen.

12. As black as the night sky

Meaning: Completely dark, like the sky on a moonless night.
In a Sentence: Without streetlights, the road ahead was as black as the night sky.

13. Inky black

Meaning: As dark as ink, which is very dark in color.
In a Sentence: The lake looked inky black under the shadow of the surrounding trees.

14. In the shadow of night

Meaning: During the nighttime or under the cover of darkness.
In a Sentence: The nocturnal animals emerged in the shadow of night.

15. In the depths of darkness

Meaning: In the darkest and most obscure places.
In a Sentence: The treasure was hidden in the depths of darkness within the cave.

16. In the pitch of night

Meaning: In the darkest part of the night.
In a Sentence: The eerie sounds echoed through the forest in the pitch of night.

17. A blanket of darkness

Meaning: A thick and all-encompassing darkness.
In a Sentence: The city was shrouded in a blanket of darkness during the blackout.

18. Wrapped in darkness

Meaning: Completely surrounded by darkness.
In a Sentence: The old haunted mansion seemed to be wrapped in darkness, with no signs of life.

19. In the blackness of night

Meaning: In the complete absence of light during the night.
In a Sentence: Lost in the blackness of night, they struggled to find their way back to the camp.

20. Cloaked in darkness

Meaning: Hidden or concealed in darkness.
In a Sentence: The mysterious figure moved silently through the forest, cloaked in darkness.

21. Lost in the dark

Meaning: To be confused or unable to find one’s way in the dark.
In a Sentence: Without a flashlight, they were lost in the dark woods.

22. A veil of darkness

Meaning: A layer or cover of darkness.
In a Sentence: As the sun set, a veil of darkness descended upon the town.

23. Drowning in darkness

Meaning: To be overwhelmed or consumed by darkness.
In a Sentence: His mind felt like it was drowning in darkness after the traumatic experience.

24. Dark as the abyss

Meaning: Extremely dark and seemingly endless, like the abyss.
In a Sentence: The cave was dark as the abyss, with no visible end in sight.

25. Dark as a dungeon

Meaning: Extremely dark and oppressive, like a dungeon.
In a Sentence: The basement was as dark as a dungeon, and they hesitated to go down.

26. Dark as midnight

Meaning: As dark as the middle of the night.
In a Sentence: The room was so dark it felt like midnight even though it was only evening.

27. Dark as a moonless night

Meaning: Extremely dark with no moonlight.
In a Sentence: The forest was as dark as a moonless night, and they relied on their flashlights to navigate.

Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article

Quiz 1:

Question: What does the idiom “In the dark” mean?

1. To have good visibility.
2. To be uninformed or unaware of something.
3. To be well-lit.

Answer: 2. To be uninformed or unaware of something.

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Quiz 2:

Question: What does the idiom “Pitch black” describe?

1. A bright and sunny day.
2. Extremely dark or completely lacking in light.
3. A moonlit night.

Answer: 2. Extremely dark or completely lacking in light.

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Quiz 3:

Question: When does “Nightfall” occur?

1. In the morning.
2. During the evening twilight.
3. At noon.

Answer: 2. During the evening twilight.

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Quiz 4:

Question: What does “Under the cover of darkness” mean?

1. To openly do something during the day.
2. To do something secretly or discreetly during the night.
3. To stay indoors during the night.

Answer: 2. To do something secretly or discreetly during the night.

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Quiz 5:

Question: When might you use the phrase “As black as pitch”?

1. When describing a bright and sunny day.
2. When something is completely black or devoid of light.
3. When referring to a colorful painting.

Answer: 2. When something is completely black or devoid of light.

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Quiz 6:

Question: What does “Inky black” compare darkness to?

1. The color white.
2. The color of ink, which is very dark.
3. The color red.

Answer: 2. The color of ink, which is very dark.

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Quiz 7:

Question: When would you say “In the shadow of night”?

1. During the daytime.
2. During the nighttime or under the cover of darkness.
3. During a storm.

Answer: 2. During the nighttime or under the cover of darkness.

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Quiz 8:

Question: What does “A blanket of darkness” refer to?

1. A warm and cozy blanket.
2. A thick and all-encompassing darkness.
3. A bright and sunny day.

Answer: 2. A thick and all-encompassing darkness.

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Quiz 9:

Question: When might someone be “Drowning in darkness”?

1. When they are swimming in a pool.
2. When they are overwhelmed or consumed by darkness.
3. When they are enjoying a starry night.

Answer: 2. When they are overwhelmed or consumed by darkness.

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Quiz 10:

Question: What is described as “Dark as a moonless night”?

1. A well-lit street.
2. Extremely dark with no moonlight.
3. A day with a full moon.

Answer: 2. Extremely dark with no moonlight.

Conclusion

Idioms for darkness paint vivid pictures of the absence of light and the mysteries that lurk within it. These expressions remind us of the fascination and fear that darkness can evoke in our lives.