1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
with its only light burned out, the closet was pitch-dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pitch-dark
The 21st century has yielded no shortage of stylish horror marbled with devious veins of pitch-dark humor — Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, pretty much every Jordan Peele feature.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The play opens in a pitch-dark, three-star-hotel room, a step down for a bereaved family that has lost its patriarch and, as important, its promised inheritance.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
On school days, that meant waking up in pitch-dark and walking to the bus stop with a flashlight.
—Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
The play opens in a pitch-dark, three-star-hotel room, a step down for a bereaved family that has lost its patriarch and, as important, its promised inheritance.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
On school days, that meant waking up in pitch-dark and walking to the bus stop with a flashlight.
—Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Despite hundreds of Americans being fired or suspended by employers as a result, the pitch-dark humor that permeates our social media ecosystem was not to be suppressed.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025
One of the officers, a special-forces commando who discussed the operation on condition of anonymity, recalls lying in the pitch-dark belly of a river barge alongside dozens of his comrades, all of them armed to the hilt, eyeing one another through night-vision goggles.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Berger based his claim on the fossils being found in narrow, pitch-dark chambers, far from natural entrances or evidence of animal activity.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
On a Saturday morning in July, my mom’s silhouette appears in the doorway of my pitch-dark childhood bedroom.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitch-dark
Adjective
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wore her hair slicked back in a low bun, dark black eyeliner to bring out her eyes, and a light pink lip.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Baha Mar is large in stature, sure—and Rosewood is part of a three-hotel complex across the bay from Atlantis, which looms large and brooding over its own end of the water as everything Baha Mar does not want to be—dated, dark, and reminiscent of Spring Break Past.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
-
Also fascinating were their contrasting likenesses, dark against light housed in the same being, a human eclipse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the pitch-black premise, co-writer and director Oscar Boyson‘s film has been steadily finding new audiences.—
William Earl,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
The controversial performance takes place in a pitch-black room, and the performers are completely nude.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
But first, the imager will scout the asteroid’s immediate neighborhood to check for any moonlets that could pose hazards to the spacecraft or offer clues to the space rock’s murky past.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Details of their final days remain murky.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitch-dark.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitch-dark. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
