1. 黑暗的　 with no or very little light
2. （颜色）深色的，暗色的　 (of colour) not reflecting much light; nearer black than white
3. （皮肤、毛发等）棕黑的　 (of the skin) not fair
4. 隐藏的，神秘的　 hidden, mysterious
5. 无希望的，悲伤的，无精打采的　 hopeless; sad; cheerless
6. （道德或智力上）未启蒙的，未发展的　 unenlightened (morally or intellectually)
7. 意义不明的，不易了解的，暧昧的　 not clear to the mind

　～ complexion　棕黑的肤色
　～ corner of the room　房间黑暗的角落
　～ dress　深色的衣服
　～ night　一个黑暗的夜晚
　～ secret　十分秘密的事
　～ threat　隐伏的威胁
　～ box　（照相机）暗箱
　～ chocolate　不含牛奶或含奶量极少的巧克力
　～ day　烟雾迷蒙的日子，处于逆境的时候
　～ eyes　黑眼睛
　～ hour　不吉之时，运气不佳之时
　～ light　不可见光
　～ moon　一个月之中地球上看不见月亮的时候
　～ sentence　不易解释之语
　the ～ Ages　欧洲中世纪
　the ～ continent　黑暗的大陆（殖民主义者对非洲的蔑称）
　get ～　黑起来
　grow ～　黑起来
　keep (sth) ～　对…保守秘密
　look ～　看起来阴暗
　abysmally ～　漆黑无底地，黑暗莫测地
　alarmingly ～　黑暗得使人惊恐地
　appreciably ～　黑暗得可以想象地
　blessedly ～　黑暗得使人安宁地，黑暗得该死地
　fearfully ～　极黑暗地，黑暗得可怕地
　fragrantly ～　黑暗得使人恬静
　frightfully ～　极黑暗地，黑暗得可怕地
　impenetrably ～　黑暗得莫测地，抽象黑色地
　intensely ～　黑暗得窒息地
　mysteriously ～　黑暗得神秘地，抽象黑色地
　nearly ～　快黑天了
　oppressively ～　黑暗得沉闷，暗色浓重地
　peacefully ～　宁静地黑暗，平和暗色地
　perilously ～　黑暗得危险地
　quite ～　完全黑下来
　suddenly ～　突然变黑地，意外地黑
　thickly ～　非常黑暗，浓黑色地
　totally ～　完全黑下来地，全黑色地
　uneasily ～　黑暗得令人不安，黑暗得令人忧郁
　unnaturally ～　违背人道地黑暗，反常地黑下来
　utterly ～　完全地黑下来，纯黑色地
　～ with clouds　由于多云而很阴暗

　That was a dark, moonless night.　那是一个黑暗的，无月光的夜晚。
　The long dark night passed by.　漫长的黑夜过去了。
　The darkest hour is before the dawn.　黎明前是最黑暗的时刻。
　A dark cloud is a sign of rain.　乌云是降雨的信号。
　You seem in a dark temper.　你似乎很不高兴。
　There is some dark meaning in his words.　他的话里有某种隐晦的含义。
　The war was a dark period for us.　这场战争对我们来说是个黑暗时期。
　It is dark.　天黑了。
　When I got up at five that cold morning, it was pitch dark.　在那个寒冷的早晨我5点钟起身时，天一片漆黑。
　It was not quite dark as yet.　天还没有完全黑下来。
　It was nearly dark when we came home.　我们到家时天已快黑了。
　It was getting dark when they arrived at the farm.　他们到达农场时，天已渐渐黑下来了。
　It's so dark here in the garden I think you'd better lead the way.　花园里这么黑，我想你最好在前面带路。
　Outside the forest, it was not so dark.　森林外面没有那么阴暗。
　The colour of this cloth is too dark.　这布的颜色太深了。
　The prospects look dark.　前景看起来不佳。
　The building is dark with soot and smoke.　烟尘使那幢建筑物变黑了。
　It is as dark as pitch.　天暗得漆黑一团。
　He was always quite dark about that matter.　他对那件事情总是缄口不言。
　His face was dark with anger.　他气得脸色发青。
　The night is too dark for us to see.　夜色太暗，我们看不见。
　It's getting too dark to take photographs.　天色渐晚，不能照相。
　So dark are the shadows that a man standing there could not be seen.　阴影很暗，人站在里面不会被看见。

 ♣ dark horse
　黑马（有本事而深藏不露的人）　person who hides special personal qualities or abilities
　"A dark horse" is one that shows unexpected racing speed and comes in first, even though the experts said he had little chance of winning.　一匹已被专家认为没有获胜希望的马，却在赛马中跑出了出人意料的速度，夺得了第一名，这就叫“黑马”。
　He's a bit of a dark horse: he was earning a fortune, but nobody knew.　他可算是藏龙卧虎：赚大钱，但没人知道。
　Don't think you'll beat him easily, he may be a dark horse.　不要以为你会轻而易举地胜过他，他可能是出人意料的高手。
 ♣ keep dark
　保守秘密　keep as a secret; conceal
　He kept his political activities dark.　他对他的政治活动保守秘密。
　I'll keep it dark about it as possible.　对那件事我尽可能保密。
　He keeps his plans dark.　他对他的计划秘而不宣。

 ♣ dark, dim
　dark　与dim都有“黑暗”的意思，其区别是：dark的意思是“黑暗的”，指黑暗无光，而dim的意思是“灰暗的”，表示由于光照不足所造成的昏暗状态，刚好达到看不清或分辨不清物体。修饰光线、灯光、阳光等只能用dim. 例如：
　With only the fire burning, the room was dim.　只有火炉在燃烧，房里光线很暗。
　He was reading a magazine under the dim light of a candle.　他在微弱的烛光下看杂志。

　形容词dark有时也可受名词修饰，如pitch dark night意为“漆黑的夜晚”。

1. U 傍晚，黄昏　 the time of day when there is no light
2. S 黑暗；无光　 absence of light
3. U 愚昧；无知　 ignorance; absence of knowledge

　abysmal ～　极无知，无底的黑暗
　creeping ～　渐渐降临的暮色，可怕的黑夜
　early ～　薄暮
　fierce ～　令人难受的死一般的黑夜，极无知
　fragrant ～　恬静的黑夜，芬芳的日暮
　frosty ～　寒冷的黑夜
　haunted ～　鬼魂作祟的黑夜，闹鬼的黑夜
　intricate ～　抽象的黑色
　impenetrable ～　打不破的黑暗，神秘的黑暗
　leafy ～　树叶茂盛而显得暗的
　lugubrious ～　阴郁的日暮，悲哀的无知
　peaceful ～　宁静的黑夜，祥和的暮色
　perilous ～　危险的黑夜，危险的无知
　shadowed ～　阴暗的暮色，朦胧的暮色
　shuddering ～　可怕的黑暗
　silent ～　寂静的黑夜，宁静的暮色
　too much ～　太暗
　after ～　天黑以后
　at ～　黄昏时
　before ～　天黑以前
　be utterly in the ～ about　对…全然不知
　in the ～　在黑暗中，秘密地
　keep in the ～　将事隐瞒不使人知道
　leap in the ～　鲁莽从事，不知道
　leave sb in the ～　不给某人知道
　whistle in the ～　给自己壮胆

　The dark came very early.　夜色很早就降临了。
　You should turn the light on at dark.　黄昏时你应开灯。
　They work from dawn till dark.　他们从天亮一直工作到天黑。
　Some little children are afraid of the dark.　有些小孩子怕黑暗。
　I made out two dim shapes in the dark.　黑暗中我隐约辨出两个模糊的影子。
　The blind live in the dark.　盲人在黑暗中生活。
　They groped in the dark.　他们在黑暗中摸索。
　I hit my head against the door in the dark.　我的头在黑暗中撞到门上去了。
　I could see the beam of his flashlight waving around in the dark.　我能够看见他的手电筒光在黑暗中四下晃动。
　She struggled in the dark, without advice, without encouragement.　她在黑暗中挣扎，无人指教，无人鼓励。
　There is too much dark in this painting.　这画颜色太暗。

 ♣ a leap〔shot〕 in the dark
　盲目冒险地干，回答等　action, answer, etc. that is risked in the hope that it is correct
　It's hard to know exactly what to do—we'll just have to take a shot in the dark.　很难说我们怎么办才对——我们只好瞎碰。
　Jane's attempt to find her lost ring in the long grass was just a shot in the dark.　简试图在草丛中找回她丢失的戒指，那真是一种毫无成功希望的举动。
 ♣ before〔after〕 dark
　在天黑以前〔以后〕before〔after〕　the sun goes down
　Try to get home before dark.　尽量在天黑以前回家。
　He came to my house before dark.　他在日暮之前到我家来。
　She will get home before dark.　她天黑以前将到家。
　We still have some way to walk before dark.　天黑以前我们还要走一段路。
　He arrived after dark.　他天黑以后才到达。
　Is it safe to walk the streets after dark?　天黑以后在街上行走安全吗?
　I'm afraid to go out after dark in the city.　在城里，我害怕天黑后出门。
　I never returned home from the office after dark.　我从不在日落后由事务所回家。
 ♣ in the dark
　无知，不知　in a state of ignorance
　He kept me in the dark about it.　他将此事隐瞒不使我知道。
　I am completely in the dark concerning their plans.　我对他们的计划一无所知。
　We are still in the dark about the cause of the fire.　我们还不清楚起火的原因。
　I was in the dark about it until she told me.　这件事在她告诉我之前，我毫不知情。
　We were kept completely in the dark about his plan to sell the company.　对他计划将公司出售一事，我们一直蒙在鼓里。

 ♣ dark, darkness
　这两个词都有“黑暗”的意思。其区别是：
1. dark多指经常的状况；darkness指一时的状况。例如：
　The old man enjoys sitting in the dark.　这位老人喜欢坐在暗处。
　For a time, they kept silent, sitting in the darkness.　他们一段时间坐在暗处，一言不发。
2. 表示“傍晚”时，只能用dark，不能用darkness. 例如：
　The city looks more beautiful at dark.　傍晚时分，这个城市显得更加美丽。
3. in the dark表示“不知，蒙在鼓里”时，不能用darkness.

　［同义词］ adj. black, cloudy, darkling, dim, evil, gloomy, grim, ignorant, infamous, joyless, lightless, obscure, shadowy, shady, wicked
　［反义词］ adj. bright, cheerful, happy, light
　［词源］古英语dearc（藏，黑暗）