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to benight

to benight

9.9
To make a place dark or become dark as night falls
  • verb
  • /bɪˈnaɪt/
  • Literature
translation icon : oscurecer
  • Clouds benight the landscape, hiding the mountains from view.

Examples

  • The ancient forest was benighted by the setting sun, casting long shadows everywhere.

  • The storm will benight the hikers on the mountain.

  • Her memory of that night was benighted by fear, making it hard to recall details.

  • As night fell, the forest was benighted by thick clouds.

  • The thick fog began to benight the city streets, making it difficult to see anything ahead.

  • As the sun set, the landscape became benighted, shrouded in darkness.

  • The dense clouds will benight us as we camp under the stars tonight.

Synonyms

to overshadow
vsto benight
15 5.4

To make something darker by blocking light

can mean being made dark or overtaken by night rather than only blocked light
to shadow
vsto benight
14 2.3

To make a place or object dark by blocking light

also includes becoming dark from nightfall rather than only from objects blocking light
to bedim
vsto benight
9.9

To make something, like light and memory, less bright or clear

also refers to being overtaken specifically by night or darkness

Antonyms

52 4.1

To make something bright or visible with light

How Dark

to black out
10 3.9
to blacken
19 3.4
to benight
  • Literature
9.9
to darken
63 3.3
to dim
12 2.4

Surface Forms

benight infinitive
benighted past
benighted past participle
benighting present participle
benights third person singular

Morphology

benight = night (transparent) = be + night

A direct, literal formation from 'be-' + 'night' meaning to cause or be overtaken by night or darkness.

Etymology

Benight comes from the same parts be- and night, with night meaning 'dark'. It once meant to be 'covered by night' or overtaken by darkness, so it still can mean to make something dark or to be overtaken by night.