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3 N‑UNCOUNT Daring is the courage to do things which might be dangerous or which might shock or anger other people. □  His daring may have cost him his life.

dark ◆◆◇ /dɑː ^r k/ (darker , darkest )

1 ADJ When it is dark , there is not enough light to see properly, for example because it is night. □  It was too dark inside to see much. □  People usually draw the curtains once it gets dark. □  She snapped off the light and made her way back through the dark kitchen. ●  dark|ness N‑UNCOUNT □  The light went out, and the room was plunged into darkness. ●  dark|ly ADV [ADV -ed] □  …a darkly lit, seedy dance hall.

2 N‑SING The dark is the lack of light in a place. □  I've always been afraid of the dark.

3 ADJ If you describe something as dark , you mean that it is black in colour, or a shade that is close to black. □  He wore a dark suit and carried a black attaché case. ●  dark|ly ADV [ADV after v, Also ADV adj/-ed] □  Joanne's freckles stood out darkly against her pale skin.

4 ADJ When you use dark to describe a colour, you are referring to a shade of that colour which is close to black, or seems to have some black in it. □  She was wearing a dark blue dress.

5 ADJ If someone has dark hair, eyes, or skin, they have brown or black hair, eyes, or skin. □  He had dark, curly hair.

6 ADJ If you describe a white person as dark , you mean that they have brown or black hair, and often a brownish skin. □  He's gorgeous – tall and dark.

7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dark period of time is unpleasant or frightening. □  This was the darkest period of the war.

8 ADJ [ADJ n] A dark place or area is mysterious and not fully known about. □  …the dark recesses of the mind.

9 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Dark thoughts are sad, and show that you are expecting something unpleasant to happen. [LITERARY ] □  Troy's chatter kept me from thinking dark thoughts.

10 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Dark looks or remarks make you think that the person giving them wants to harm you or that something horrible is going to happen. [LITERARY ] □  …dark threats. ●  dark|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  'Something's wrong here,' she said darkly.

11 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as dark , you mean that it is related to things that are serious or unpleasant, rather than light-hearted. □  Their dark humor never failed to astound him. ●  dark|ly ADV [ADV adj] □  The atmosphere after Wednesday's debut was as darkly comic as the film itself.

12 → see also pitch-dark

13 PHRASE If you do something after dark , you do it when the sun has set and night has begun. □  They avoid going out alone after dark.

14 PHRASE If you do something before dark , you do it before the sun sets and night begins. □  They'll be back well before dark.

15 PHRASE If you are in the dark about something, you do not know anything about it. □ [+ about ] The investigators admit that they are completely in the dark about the killing.

16 PHRASE If you describe something someone says or does as a shot in the dark or a stab in the dark , you mean they are guessing that what they say is correct or that what they do will be successful. □  Every single one of those inspired guesses had been shots in the dark.

da rk age (dark ages ) also Dark Age

1 N‑COUNT If you refer to a period in the history of a society as a dark age , you think that it is characterized by a lack of knowledge and progress. [WRITTEN , DISAPPROVAL ] □  The Education Secretary accuses teachers of wanting to return to a dark age.

2 N‑PROPER The Dark Ages are the period of European history between about 500 A.D. and about 1000 A.D.

dark|en /dɑː ^r kən/ (darkens , darkening , darkened )