adj
Meaning 1
Relating to darkness or obscurity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: poetic
Examples
- A Scanner Darkly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
darkly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɑːkli/
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General-American: /ˈdɑɹkli/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)kli
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CMU ARPABET: D AA1 R K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adv
Meaning 2
With insufficient light for easy discernment or comprehension.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- I could make out his image darkly.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 3
With a dark appearance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: blackly, sably
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 4
In a manner which is not readily visible or noticeable; inconspicuously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: anonymously, obscurely, unapparently, unnoticeably
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 5
In a manner which retards or prevents discernment; clandestinely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: covertly, furtively, inconspicuously, secretly, stealthily, surreptitiously
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 6
In a manner which is difficult to understand, or which retards or prevents understanding; incomprehensibly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fathomlessly, inscrutably, mysteriously, obscurely, vaguely
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 7
In a manner which tends to produce uncertainty or confusion; bewilderingly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bafflingly, perplexingly, puzzlingly
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 8
In a manner which produces an inward conviction of future misfortune; ominously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: forebodingly, threateningly
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 9
In a morbid manner; morbidly, sinisterly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- a darkly comic dystopian drama
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 10
without light
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the river was sliding darkly under the mist
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: in darkness
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 11
in a dark glowering menacing manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he stared darkly at her
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English derkely, equivalent to dark + -ly.
From Middle English derkly, derkely, derkliche, derkeliche; equivalent to dark + -ly. Compare Old English deorclīċe, a parallel formation.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Old Armenian: աղօտ (ałōt) — with a dark appearance
- Bulgarian: мрачно (mračno) — with a dark appearance
- Esperanto: mallume — with a dark appearance
- Finnish: pimeästi — with a dark appearance
- French: obscurément — with a dark appearance
- French: sombrement — with a dark appearance
- Italian: cupamente — with a dark appearance
- Italian: oscuramente — with a dark appearance
- Italian: tenebrosamente — with a dark appearance
- Latvian: tumši — with a dark appearance
- Navajo: diłhiłgo — with a dark appearance
- Polish: ciemno — with a dark appearance
- Polish: mrocznie — with a dark appearance
- Russian: мра́чно (mráčno) — with a dark appearance
- Russian: нея́сно (nejásno) — with a dark appearance
- Russian: темно́ (temnó) — with a dark appearance
- Russian: зло́бно (zlóbno) — with a dark appearance
- Serbo-Croatian: tȃmno — with a dark appearance
- Serbo-Croatian: та̑мно — with a dark appearance
- Serbo-Croatian: sȕmōrno — in a morbid manner — see also morbidly, sinisterly
- Serbo-Croatian: су̏мо̄рно — in a morbid manner — see also morbidly, sinisterly
- Esperanto: mistere — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- French: mystérieusement — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- Greek: μυστηριωδώς (mystiriodós) — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- Italian: misteriosamente — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- Italian: oscuramente — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- Italian: tenebrosamente — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously
- Spanish: misteriosamente — mysteriously; forebodingly, ominously — see also mysteriously, ominously