ENGLISH
REFERENCE

blackness

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈbɫæknəs// UK //blˈæknəs// black·ness

n. the state of being completely black or very dark. You use it to describe a place where there is no light at all.

n. the quality or state of being black; the total absence of light or color.


SIMPLE

The thick clouds turned the sky into total blackness.

CONTEXTUAL

When the power failed in the basement, we were suddenly surrounded by absolute blackness.

COMPLEX

The deep-sea explorer stared into the blackness of the ocean floor, where the sun's rays had not reached for millions of years.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense.

Usage

Often used with adjectives like 'absolute', 'total', or 'complete' to emphasize the lack of light.

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