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black

black

213 7.5
Having evil or cruel qualities
  • adjective
  • /blæk/
translation icon : negro
  • Don't let this be a black mark on an otherwise perfect record.
  • black humor
  • black market
  • black magic

This is going to make them look extra black, like my soul.

Examples

  • Open those ears wide, baby, and let that old black magic take over.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • 18 years and their hearts are still black with guilt and shame.

  • You know what it's like to be 17 and feel like your life is a black hole?

  • In my youth, I committed many black deeds of evil.

  • Never before, not even from the Emperor, had he ever felt such a black and bitter hatred.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Physical education today is seen as the black sheep of the education family, and society in general concurs.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The shadow of today hangs like a black pall over the country.

  • This is the most black-hearted thing you have ever done, Nelle Harper Lee... ...and I will never forgive you.

  • Others have resorted to "black humor" in an effort to cope with these conflicting interests.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The report revealed a black market for stolen goods operating in the city.

Synonyms

dark
vsblack
553 6.1

Connected with evil or with being kept hidden

adds extreme misfortune and harsh ironic tone beyond simple concealment
disastrous
vsblack
126 3.5

Causing very great harm, suffering, or failure

is similar but also applies to moral wickedness or harsh tone
shameful
vsblack
89 4.7

Causing shame because it is morally wrong

is similar but also includes sinister or bleak emotional tones
sinister
vsblack
87 6.1

Giving a feeling that something bad will happen

is wider, also covering moral wickedness and harsh ironic tone
bleak
vsblack
68 4.7

Showing little hope or encouragement

is darker, also implying evil, illicit action, or ironic harshness
fatal
vsblack
64 3.9

Causing very serious harm or ruin

covers that severity but also implies evil intent or disturbing mood
disgraceful
vsblack
46 3.0

Very bad or shocking behaviour that makes people lose respect

is broader, also covering evil intent and dark ironic mood
ignominious
vsblack
  • Formal
7 9.0

Causing public shame and a loss of respect

is related but also covers inner wickedness and disturbing tone
black-market
vsblack
6 4.8

Sold or traded secretly because it is against the law

has that illicit sense but also covers evil, tragic, or ironic meanings
calamitous
vsblack
6 7.9

An event that causes great harm or loss

includes that extreme misfortune but also denotes moral evil or irony
grim
vsblack
5 5.3

Humor that treats serious, upsetting things in a harsh way

covers that harsh tone but also refers to evil or illicit matters
inglorious
vsblack
3 7.5

Causing shame and loss of respect

is broader, also meaning sinister evil or very bad misfortune
contraband
vsblack
  • NSFW
3 7.7

Items people sell or bring into a country illegally

includes illegal trade but also signals moral or tonal darkness
mordant
vsblack
  • Formal
1 8.7

Expressing sharp, often ironic criticism that can feel harsh

includes that biting tone but also means moral wickedness or misfortune
blackhearted
vsblack
  • Offensive
1 8.6

Cruel and without pity to others

is broader, covering evil qualities beyond personal cruelty
bootleg
vsblack
1 7.2

Sold illegally without official permission

is broader, also meaning wickedness, misfortune, or harsh humor
smuggled
vsblack
  • NSFW
4.5

Illegally brought into a country to avoid taxes or rules

shares illegal trade focus but lacks the moral or ironic senses
blackguardly
vsblack
  • Offensive
9.9

Being cruel and dishonest in a way that hurts other people

is wider, adding harsh irony, extreme misfortune, or illicitness
atramentous
vsblack
  • Archaic
9.9

Very dark, almost black, in color or very sad and gloomy

is broader, adding evil intent, illicitness, or biting irony

Antonyms

1.0

Behaving in a kind and honest way

Idioms

Something written so the meaning is clear and certain

9 5.5

Having more money than you owe

black and blue
  • Informal
8 2.1

With dark bruises on the skin from being hit

1 9.9

Far from towns and cities, often in the Australian outback

To say someone has a fault you also have

A sign that dark clouds are coming and rain may fall, or a joke that things only seem bad

Not as bad or evil as people say

Less bad than people often say

Compounds

282 1.0

A woman who has dark skin and whose family comes from Africa

black hole
  • Specialized
162 5.1

An area of space with gravity so strong that not even light can escape it

131 1.2

A person with dark skin whose family comes from Africa

85 3.9

A place where people buy and sell goods illegally

A photo, film, or TV picture in shades of black, white and gray

58 1.7

A man who has African ancestry and is seen as Black

An image that shows only shades of black, white and gray, not color

Seeing things as only good or bad, with no middle

37 2.3

A dark swollen bruise around the eye caused by a hit

An image, film, or pattern that uses only black, white and gray

A group of Black American activists in the 1960s who fought police abuse and fought for equal rights

black box
  • Specialized
26 4.9

A device on an airplane that records flight information and pilot voices

26 1.0

A dress that is black and often worn for formal or special occasions

An American person whose family comes from Africa

24 3.5

A very skilled person in martial arts like karate or judo who wears a dark band at the waist

21 1.0

A dark spice made from dried peppercorns used to season food

20 7.7

Magic used to harm people or to help the person who uses it

17 5.5

A thing, like a failing project, that uses a lot of time or money and gives nothing back

15 6.7

An old type of gunpowder used in guns and fireworks

black sheep
  • Offensive
15 4.8

A person who others dislike in a family or group

14 6.0

A member of the Black Panther Party who fought for equal rights for African Americans in the 1960s

14 1.3

A small shiny black bean used in cooking

14 7.4

A list of people to avoid because they are not trusted or are enemies

black tie
  • Formal
12 3.7

A formal evening dress code for men that requires a black jacket and bow tie

12 3.2

Completely dark with no light at all

12 5.6

A venomous spider from the Americas whose female is black with a red hourglass on the underside of its body

black-tie
  • Formal
11 4.4

Requiring formal evening clothes like a tuxedo and bow tie for men

11 1.0

A medium-sized wild animal in North America with black or dark brown fur

black eye
  • Informal
9 4.7

An event that hurts how people see someone

9 3.3

A sea between southeastern Europe and western Asia that borders countries like Turkey and Ukraine

8 3.4

A small pale bean with a black spot that people eat in the American South

black box
  • Specialized
7 3.9

A system whose inner parts are hidden so you only see what goes in and what comes out

7 6.7

A large outbreak of plague in Europe in the mid 1300s that killed millions

7 5.8

A thing that makes people think less of someone

7 2.8

Music made by Black artists, like blues, jazz, gospel, and hip hop

A simple black dress to wear to many events like a party or dinner

A fictional king and superhero from Marvel who uses advanced technology to protect his people

6 4.8

Sold or traded secretly because it is against the law

black lung
  • Specialized
5 6.7

A lung disease from breathing coal dust for a long time that often affects miners

5 5.8

A person who follows the Nation of Islam, a religious group among African Americans in the United States

5 1.0

A dark, strong tea made from leaves left to change color

5 1.4

A ripe dark olive preserved in salt water or oil and used in cooking

5 1.0

Having black or very dark hair

4 5.7

A thin layer of ice on roads or sidewalks that is hard to see

4 3.6

Very dark color that is black with a blue shine

4 6.4

A severe disease in the Middle Ages that spread across Europe and killed millions

black comedy
  • Literature
3 6.3

A play or film that makes serious subjects, especially taboo ones, seem funny

3 3.9

A mountain area in the southwest of Germany with thick woods and famous scenery

3 4.9

A range of mountains in South Dakota and Wyoming, home to Mount Rushmore and sacred to the Sioux

A person from Africa who has dark skin

3 6.5

Jokes about serious or sad topics that make people laugh

3 9.9

A Palestinian armed group that carried out attacks in other countries in the early 1970s

3 3.9

Very black like coal or a dark night

black body
  • Specialized
2 8.5

An object that absorbs all light and other kinds of radiation that hit it

Skin that has dark marks after a bruise

2 3.8

A type of black cow from Scotland without horns that farmers raise for good beef

2 9.9

A group of Black people often involved in crime or violence

black dog
  • Literature
2 8.6

A large ghostly dog in stories that people use to describe deep sadness

2 7.7

A day in October 1987 when stock markets worldwide crashed sharply

1 4.6

A valuable black oil that countries sell for money

1 6.5

A dark sausage made with pig's blood, fat, and oats that you cook and eat

1 4.3

A large tree from North America with dark hard wood and nuts you can eat

1 2.8

A very dark colour like shiny coal

black belt
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A person with advanced Six Sigma training who leads projects to improve how a company works

1 2.9

A dark, dense bread made from rye flour

black lung disease
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A serious lung illness caused by breathing coal dust over many years, often in miners

1 7.5

A person who secretly sells scarce or controlled goods for money

1 8.4

A secret action that hides who did it, often for political or military reasons

1 4.1

A very deep black color like coal

1 3.3

Very dark like black ink

1 6.5

A flag that is black with a white skull and crossbones used by pirates

1 6.6

A small dark insect that bites people and animals and makes itchy red spots

1 3.0

A small dark red to almost black round fruit from a tree that tastes sweet

How Evil

diabolical
44 8.2
evil
3.0
black
213 7.5
sinister
87 6.1
wicked
149 4.6
disturbing
304 4.2
unpleasant
215 1.0

Surface Forms

black positive

Etymology

The word black has long been linked to darkness and danger, so it can mean evil, cruel, or very bad because darkness often hides harmful things.