Black vs. Dark: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 5, 2023
Black is a color with no light, often associated with elegance or absence of color. Dark denotes a lack of light or a deeper shade, often associated with mystery or the unknown.
Key Differences
Black is a term with multiple implications and applications in the English language, predominantly used as an adjective, noun, or a verb. It refers to the darkest color owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light, typically exemplified by coal, jet, or the night sky. It symbolizes the complete lack of color or light, embodying characteristics of finality, sophistication, and formality. Black can be foundational in design, representing elegance, power, and modernity, and often contrasted with white to denote dichotomy, as in black and white, signifying clear distinctions.
Dark, conversely, has a broader application, serving mainly as an adjective or a noun to illustrate the absence or scarcity of light, rendering visibility minimal. It can describe the visual experience under scant light conditions, leading to the perception of shadows or obscurity. Dark does not necessarily represent the total absence of light but indicates reduced illumination. In a metaphorical sense, it can convey notions of mystery, secrecy, and the unknown, implicating a hidden, profound, or sinister dimension. A dark room denotes a space with inadequate light, while a dark secret symbolizes concealed, perhaps unfavorable information.
In evaluating nuances between black and dark, context becomes pivotal. Black, denoting a specific color or the absence thereof, is precise, reflecting categorical absence of light or color. It has implications in various contexts, symbolizing elegance in fashion, finality in existential discussions, and starkness in contrasting situations. Dark, with its overarching references to reduced light or deeper shades, is more encompassing and versatile. It illustrates varying degrees of light absence or the presence of deeper, subdued shades of colors. A dark atmosphere, thus, may imply a mysterious, concealed, or somber ambiance.
These terms, in their multifaceted applications, contribute to the richness of English vocabulary. Black, with its definitive representation of a color or its lack, articulates absolutes, be it in color palettes, existential debates, or moral discussions. Dark, through its illustrative references to shadows, mysteries, and subdued shades, enriches descriptive narratives by adding layers of meanings, interpretations, and depth, offering glimpses into the unseen, the mysterious, or the profound.
In essence, black is definitive in representing a color or its complete absence, while dark is descriptive and versatile, portraying varying degrees of light or color intensity, revealing the obscure, the mysterious, or the nuanced shades of colors and experiences.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective, Noun, Verb
Adjective, Noun
Meaning
The absence of color due to no light; color of objects like coal
Lack or small amount of light; deeper shade of color
Application
Color, Symbolism, Contrast
Ambiance, Shade, Secrecy
Intensity
Absolute absence of light or color
Variable degrees of light or color intensity
Contextual Implications
Elegance, Finality, Dichotomy
Mystery, Obscurity, Unknown
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Black and Dark Definitions
Black
Having little or no light
A black, moonless night.
Dark
Reflecting only a small fraction of incident light; tending toward black
Dark clothing.
Black
The color of objects that do not emit or reflect light.
The black night sky was filled with stars.
Dark
Having little or no light.
The room was dark, and I couldn’t see anything.
Black
Symbolizing evil, death, or the unknown.
He wears black to mourn his loss.
Dark
Having a sinister or gloomy character; mysterious.
The novel had a dark and twisted plot.
Black
Being characterized by the absence of light.
We were enveloped in black darkness during the power cut.
Dark
Keeping knowledge or information secret; concealed.
There are dark secrets hidden in his past.
Black
Being of the color black, producing or reflecting comparatively little light and having no predominant hue.
Dark
Lacking or having very little light
A dark corner.
Black
Of or belonging to a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin
The black population of South Africa.
Dark
Lacking brightness
A dark day.
Black
Of or belonging to an American ethnic group descended from African peoples having dark skin; African American.
Dark
Served without milk or cream
Dark coffee.
Black
Very dark in color
Rich black soil.
Black, wavy hair.
Dark
Being or having a complexion that is not light in color.
Black
Being a trail, as for skiing, marked with a sign having a black diamond, indicating a high level of difficulty.
Dark
Sullen or threatening
A dark scowl.
Black
Soiled, as from soot; dirty
Feet black from playing outdoors.
Dark
Characterized by gloom or pessimism; dismal or bleak
A dark day for the economy.
Dark predictions of what lies in store.
Black
Evil; wicked
The pirates' black deeds.
Dark
Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor.
Black
Cheerless and depressing; gloomy
Black thoughts.
Dark
Unknown or concealed; mysterious
A dark secret.
The dark workings of the unconscious.
Black
Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor
A black comedy.
Dark
Lacking enlightenment, knowledge, or culture
A dark age in the history of education.
Black
Marked by anger or sullenness
Gave me a black look.
Dark
Evil in nature or effect; sinister
"churned up dark undercurrents of ethnic and religious hostility" (Peter Maas).
Black
Attended with disaster; calamitous
A black day.
The stock market crash on Black Friday.
Dark
Morally corrupt; vicious
Dark deeds.
A dark past.
Black
Deserving of, indicating, or incurring censure or dishonor
“Man ... has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands” (Rachel Carson).
Dark
Having richness or depth
A dark, melancholy vocal tone.
Black
Wearing clothing of the darkest visual hue
The black knight.
Dark
Not giving performances; closed
The movie theater is dark on Mondays.
Black
Served without milk or cream
Black coffee.
Dark
(Linguistics) Pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum. Used of the sound (l) in words like full.
Black
Appearing to emanate from a source other than the actual point of origin. Used chiefly of intelligence operations
Black propaganda.
Black radio transmissions.
Dark
Absence of light.
Black
Disclosed, for reasons of security, only to an extremely limited number of authorized persons; very highly classified
Black programs in the Defense Department.
The Pentagon's black budget.
Dark
A place having little or no light.
Black
Chiefly British Boycotted as part of a labor union action.
Dark
Night; nightfall
Home before dark.
Black
The achromatic color value of minimum lightness or maximum darkness; the color of objects that absorb nearly all light of all visible wavelengths; one extreme of the neutral gray series, the opposite being white. Although strictly a response to zero stimulation of the retina, the perception of black appears to depend on contrast with surrounding color stimuli.
Dark
A deep hue or color.
Black
A pigment or dye having this color value.
Dark
Darks Pieces of laundry having a dark color.
Black
Complete or almost complete absence of light; darkness.
Dark
Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
The room was too dark for reading.
Black
Clothing of the darkest hue, especially such clothing worn for mourning.
Dark
(of a source of light) Extinguished.
Dark signals should be treated as all-way stop signs.
Black
A member of a racial group having brown to black skin, especially one of African origin.
Dark
Deprived of sight; blind.
Black
An American descended from peoples of African origin having brown to black skin; an African American.
Dark
Transmitting, reflecting, or receiving inadequate light to render timely discernment or comprehension: caliginous, darkling, dim, gloomy, lightless, sombre.
Black
Something that is colored black.
Dark
(of colour) Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.
My sister's hair is darker than mine;
Her skin grew dark with a suntan
Black
The black-colored pieces, as in chess or checkers.
Dark
Ambiguously or unclearly expressed: enigmatic, esoteric, mysterious, obscure, undefined.
Black
The player using these pieces.
Dark
Marked by or conducted with secrecy: hidden, secret; clandestine, surreptitious.
Black
The condition of making or operating at a profit
Worked hard to get the business back into the black.
Dark
Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malign.
A dark villain;
A dark deed
Black
To make black
Blacked their faces with charcoal.
Dark
Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
The Great Depression was a dark time;
The film was a dark psychological thriller
Black
To apply blacking to
Blacked the stove.
Dark
(of a time period) Lacking progress in science or the arts.
Black
Chiefly British To boycott as part of a labor union action.
Dark
Extremely sad, depressing, or somber, typically due to, or marked by, a tragic or undesirable event.
September 11, 2001, the day when four terrorist attacks destroyed the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, is often referred to as America's dark day.
Black
To become black.
Dark
With emphasis placed on the unpleasant aspects of life; said of a work of fiction, a work of nonfiction presented in narrative form, or a portion of either.
The ending of this book is rather dark.
Black
(of an object) Absorbing all light and reflecting none; dark and hueless.
Dark
Off the air; not transmitting.
Black
(of a place, etc) Without light.
Dark
A complete or (more often) partial absence of light.
Dark surrounds us completely.
Black
(sometimes capitalized) Belonging to or descended from any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. See usage notes below.
Dark
(uncountable) Ignorance.
We kept him in the dark.
The lawyer was left in the dark as to why the jury was dismissed.
Black
(US) Belonging to or descended from any of various sub-Saharan African ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin.
Dark
(uncountable) Nightfall.
It was after dark before we got to playing baseball.
Black
Designated for use by those ethnic groups (as described above).
Black drinking fountain; black hospital
Dark
A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, etc.
Black
Of the spades or clubs suits. Compare of the hearts or diamonds suit
I was dealt two red queens, and he got one of the black queens.
Dark
(intransitive) To grow or become dark, darken.
Black
Bad; evil; ill-omened.
Dark
(intransitive) To remain in the dark, lurk, lie hidden or concealed.
Black
Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen.
He shot her a black look.
Dark
(transitive) To make dark, darken; to obscure.
Black
(of objects, markets, etc) Illegitimate, illegal or disgraced.
Dark
Destitute, or partially destitute, of light; not receiving, reflecting, or radiating light; wholly or partially black, or of some deep shade of color; not light-colored; as, a dark room; a dark day; dark cloth; dark paint; a dark complexion.
O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,Irrecoverably dark, total eclipseWithout all hope of day!
In the dark and silent grave.
Black
Foul; dirty, soiled.
Dark
Not clear to the understanding; not easily seen through; obscure; mysterious; hidden.
The dark problems of existence.
What may seem dark at the first, will afterward be found more plain.
What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?
Black
Overcrowded.
Dark
Destitute of knowledge and culture; in moral or intellectual darkness; unrefined; ignorant.
The age wherein he lived was dark, but heCould not want light who taught the world to see.
The tenth century used to be reckoned by mediæval historians as the darkest part of this intellectual night.
Black
(of coffee or tea) Without any cream, milk, or creamer.
Jim drinks his coffee black, but Ellen prefers it with creamer.
Dark
Evincing black or foul traits of character; vile; wicked; atrocious; as, a dark villain; a dark deed.
Left him at large to his own dark designs.
Black
Of or relating to the playing pieces of a board game deemed to belong to the "black" set (in chess the set used by the player who moves second) often regardless of the pieces' actual colour.
The black pieces in this chess set are made of dark blue glass.
Dark
Foreboding evil; gloomy; jealous; suspicious.
More dark and dark our woes.
A deep melancholy took possesion of him, and gave a dark tinge to all his views of human nature.
There is, in every true woman-s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
Black
(politics) Anarchist; of or pertaining to anarchism.
Dark
Deprived of sight; blind.
He was, I think, at this time quite dark, and so had been for some years.
Black
(typography) Said of a symbol or character that is solid, filled with color. Compare said of a character or symbol outline, not filled with color.
Dark
Absence of light; darkness; obscurity; a place where there is little or no light.
Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out.
Black
(politics) Related to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
After the election, the parties united in a black-yellow alliance.
Dark
The condition of ignorance; gloom; secrecy.
Look, what you do, you do it still i' th' dark.
Till we perceive by our own understandings, we are as much in the dark, and as void of knowledge, as before.
Black
Clandestine; relating to a political, military, or espionage operation or site, the existence or details of which is withheld from the general public.
5 percent of the Defense Department funding will go to black projects.
Black operations/black ops, black room, black site
Dark
A dark shade or dark passage in a painting, engraving, or the like; as, the light and darks are well contrasted.
The lights may serve for a repose to the darks, and the darks to the lights.
Black
Occult; relating to something (such as mystical or magical knowledge) which is unknown to or kept secret from the general public.
Dark
To darken; to obscure.
Black
Protestant, often with the implication of being militantly pro-British or anti-Catholic. 1=Compare blackmouth ("Presbyterian").
The Royal Black Institution
Dark
Absence of light or illumination
Black
Having one or more features (hair, fur, armour, clothes, bark, etc) that is dark (or black); in taxonomy, especially: dark in comparison to another species with the same base name.
Black birch, black locust, black rhino
The black knight, black bile
Dark
Absence of moral or spiritual values;
The powers of darkness
Black
The colour/color perceived in the absence of light, but also when no light is reflected, but rather absorbed.
Dark
An unilluminated area;
He moved off into the darkness
Black
A black dye or pigment.
Dark
The time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
Black
(countable) A pen, pencil, crayon, etc., made of black pigment.
Dark
An unenlightened state;
He was in the dark concerning their intentions
His lectures dispelled the darkness
Black
(in the plural) Black cloth hung up at funerals.
Dark
Devoid or partially devoid of light or brightness; shadowed or black or somber-colored;
Sitting in a dark corner
A dark day
Dark shadows
The theater is dark on Mondays
Dark as the inside of a black cat
Black
A member of descendant of any of various (African, Aboriginal, etc) ethnic groups which typically have dark pigmentation of the skin. See usage notes.
Dark
(used of color) having a dark hue;
Dark green
Dark glasses
Dark colors like wine red or navy blue
Black
(informal) Blackness, the condition of belonging to or being descended from one of these ethnic groups.
Black don't crack
Dark
Brunet (used of hair or skin or eyes);
Dark eyes
Black
The black ball.
Dark
Stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable;
Black deeds
A black lie
His black heart has concocted yet another black deed
Darth Vader of the dark side
A dark purpose
Dark undercurrents of ethnic hostility
The scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him
Black
The edge of home plate.
Dark
Causing dejection;
A blue day
The dark days of the war
A week of rainy depressing weather
A disconsolate winter landscape
The first dismal dispiriting days of November
A dark gloomy day
Grim rainy weather
Black
A type of firecracker that is really more dark brown in colour.
Dark
Secret;
Keep it dark
The dark mysteries of Africa and the fabled wonders of the East
Black
, especially as syrup or crème de cassis used for cocktails.
Pernod and black... snakebite and black... cider and black...
Dark
Showing a brooding ill humor;
A dark scowl
The proverbially dour New England Puritan
A glum, hopeless shrug
He sat in moody silence
A morose and unsociable manner
A saturnine, almost misanthropic young genius
A sour temper
A sullen crowd
Black
The person playing with the black set of pieces.
At this point black makes a disastrous move.
Dark
Lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture;
This benighted country
Benighted ages of barbarism and superstition
The dark ages
A dark age in the history of education
Black
(countable) Something, or a part of a thing, which is black.
Dark
Marked by difficulty of style or expression;
Much that was dark is now quite clear to me
Those who do not appreciate Kafka's work say his style is obscure
Black
A stain; a spot.
Dark
Having skin rich in melanin pigments;
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The dark races
Dark-skinned peoples
Black
A dark smut fungus, harmful to wheat.
Dark
Not giving performances; closed;
The theater is dark on Mondays
Black
Marijuana.
Dark
Being a shade of color closer to black than white.
He wore a dark suit to the meeting.
Black
(transitive) To make black; to blacken.
Dark
Expressing or feeling sorrow or despair.
He had a dark expression on his face after the news broke.
Black
(transitive) To apply blacking to (something).
Black
To boycott, usually as part of an industrial dispute.
Black
(pornography) of a white woman To be fucked by a black man.
Black
Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.
O night, with hue so black!
Black
In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the heavens black with clouds.
I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
Black
Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness; destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked; cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible.
Black
Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen; foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
Black
Sullenly; threateningly; maliciously; so as to produce blackness.
Black
That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black.
Black is the badge of hell,The hue of dungeons, and the suit of night.
Black
A black pigment or dye.
Black
A negro; a person whose skin is of a black color, or shaded with black; esp. a member or descendant of certain African races.
Black
A black garment or dress; as, she wears black
Friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like show death terrible.
That was the full time they used to wear blacks for the death of their fathers.
Black
The part of a thing which is distinguished from the rest by being black.
The black or sight of the eye.
Black
A stain; a spot; a smooch.
Defiling her white lawn of chastity with ugly blacks of lust.
Black
To make black; to blacken; to soil; to sully.
They have their teeth blacked, both men and women, for they say a dog hath his teeth white, therefore they will black theirs.
Sins which black thy soul.
Black
To make black and shining, as boots or a stove, by applying blacking and then polishing with a brush.
Black
The quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
Black
Total absence of light;
They fumbled around in total darkness
In the black of night
Black
British chemist who identified carbon dioxide and who formulated the concepts of specific heat and latent heat (1728-1799)
Black
Popular child actress of the 1930's (born 1927)
Black
A person with dark skin who comes from Africa (or whose ancestors came from Africa)
Black
(board games) the darker pieces
Black
Black clothing (worn as a sign of mourning);
The widow wore black
Black
Make or become black;
The smoke blackened the ceiling
The ceiling blackened
Black
Being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light;
Black leather jackets
As black as coal
Rich black soil
Black
Of or belonging to a racial group having dark skin especially of sub-Saharan African origin;
A great people--a black people--...injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization
Black
Marked by anger or resentment or hostility;
Black looks
Black words
Black
Stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable;
Black deeds
A black lie
His black heart has concocted yet another black deed
Darth Vader of the dark side
A dark purpose
Dark undercurrents of ethnic hostility
The scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him
Black
Offering little or no hope;
The future looked black
Prospects were bleak
Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult
Took a dim view of things
Black
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin;
The stock market crashed on Black Friday
A calamitous defeat
The battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign
Such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory
It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it
A fateful error
Black
(of the face) made black especially as with suffused blood;
A face black with fury
Black
Extremely dark;
A black moonless night
Through the pitch-black woods
It was pitch-dark in the celler
Black
Harshly ironic or sinister;
Black humor
A grim joke
Grim laughter
Fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit
Black
(of intelligence operations) deliberately misleading;
Black propaganda
Black
Distributed or sold illicitly;
The black economy pays no taxes
Black
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame;
Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands
An ignominious retreat
Inglorious defeat
An opprobrious monument to human greed
A shameful display of cowardice
Black
(of coffee) without cream or sugar
Black
Dressed in black;
A black knight
Black friars
Black
Soiled with dirt or soot;
With feet black from playing outdoors
His shirt was black within an hour
Black
A racial classification for people with dark skin, primarily of African ancestry.
Black culture has contributed significantly to global music, food, and fashion.
Black
Marked by anger or sullenness.
He gave me a black look when I disturbed him.
FAQs
Is black only a color?
No, black can also symbolize concepts like death, evil, or the unknown, and refer to racial classification.
Is black the absence of color?
In terms of light, black is the absence of color; in pigment, it is the presence of all colors.
Does dark always mean the absence of light?
No, dark can also refer to a color shade, secretive or gloomy situations, or express sorrow or despair.
Does black symbolize elegance?
Yes, in many cultures, black is associated with formality and elegance.
Can something be dark but not black?
Yes, dark can refer to a lack of light or a deeper shade, but it doesn’t necessarily mean black.
Can black be used as a verb?
Yes, black can be used as a verb meaning to make black; darken.
Can dark be associated with mood?
Yes, dark can describe a gloomy, sorrowful, or despairing mood.
Does dark always have a negative connotation?
No, dark can be neutral when describing light levels or color shades, but it can have negative connotations in some contexts.
Can dark refer to a color shade?
Yes, dark can describe a color shade closer to black than white.
Does dark have varying degrees?
Yes, dark can describe varying degrees of light absence or color intensity.
Can black have cultural implications?
Yes, black can have diverse cultural implications, symbolizing sophistication, mourning, or rebellion.
Can black represent finality?
Yes, black often symbolizes the end or finality in various contexts.
Is black always associated with negativity?
No, black can also represent sophistication, elegance, and modernity.
Can dark symbolize mystery?
Yes, dark often symbolizes the unknown, mysterious, or concealed aspects.
Is it appropriate to interchange black and dark in all contexts?
No, using black and dark interchangeably can lead to misunderstandings as they have distinct meanings in different contexts.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
