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black

black

430 7.5
Having evil or cruel qualities
  • adjective
  • /blæk/
: 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
742 6.1

Connected with evil or with being kept hidden

adds extreme misfortune and harsh ironic tone beyond simple concealment
disastrous
vsblack
125 3.5

Causing very great harm, suffering, or failure

is similar but also applies to moral wickedness or harsh tone
sinister
vsblack
90 6.1

Giving a feeling that something bad will happen

is wider, also covering moral wickedness and harsh ironic tone
shameful
vsblack
90 4.7

Causing shame because it is morally wrong

is similar but also includes sinister or bleak emotional tones
bleak
vsblack
80 4.7

Showing little hope or encouragement

is darker, also implying evil, illicit action, or ironic harshness
fatal
vsblack
60 3.9

Causing very serious harm or ruin

covers that severity but also implies evil intent or disturbing mood
disgraceful
vsblack
44 3.0

Very bad or shocking behaviour that makes people lose respect

is broader, also covering evil intent and dark ironic mood
black-market
vsblack
31 4.8

Sold or traded secretly because it is against the law

has that illicit sense but also covers evil, tragic, or ironic meanings
bootleg
vsblack
21 7.2

Sold illegally without official permission

is broader, also meaning wickedness, misfortune, or harsh humor
ignominious
vsblack
  • Formal
7 9.0

Causing public shame and a loss of respect

is related but also covers inner wickedness and disturbing tone
calamitous
vsblack
6 7.9

An event that causes great harm or loss

includes that extreme misfortune but also denotes moral evil or irony
contraband
vsblack
  • NSFW
4 7.7

Items people sell or bring into a country illegally

includes illegal trade but also signals moral or tonal darkness
grim
vsblack
4 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
2 7.5

Causing shame and loss of respect

is broader, also meaning sinister evil or very bad misfortune
smuggled
vsblack
  • NSFW
2 4.5

Illegally brought into a country to avoid taxes or rules

shares illegal trade focus but lacks the moral or ironic senses
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
atramentous
vsblack
  • Archaic
1 9.9

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

is broader, adding evil intent, illicitness, or biting irony
blackhearted
vsblack
  • Offensive
1 8.6

Cruel and without pity to others

is broader, covering evil qualities beyond personal cruelty
blackguardly
vsblack
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Being cruel and dishonest in a way that hurts other people

is wider, adding harsh irony, extreme misfortune, or illicitness

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Behaving in a kind and honest way

Idioms

Something written so the meaning is clear and certain

14 5.5

Having more money than you owe

black and blue
  • Informal
6 2.1

With dark bruises on the skin from being hit

To say someone has a fault you also have

9.9

Far from towns and cities, often in the Australian outback

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

399 1.7

A man who has African ancestry and is seen as Black

395 1.2

A person with dark skin whose family comes from Africa

188 1.0

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

black hole
  • Specialized
123 5.1

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

119 2.5

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

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

Seeing things as only good or bad, with no middle

69 3.9

A place where people buy and sell goods illegally

An American person whose family comes from Africa

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

53 2.3

A dark swollen bruise around the eye caused by a hit

51 5.5

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

38 1.0

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

37 7.7

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

32 3.5

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

31 4.8

Sold or traded secretly because it is against the law

black tie
  • Formal
27 3.7

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

black sheep
  • Offensive
24 4.8

A person who others dislike in a family or group

23 2.4

A person from Africa who has dark skin

black box
  • Specialized
23 4.9

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

23 3.3

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

19 1.0

A dark spice made from dried peppercorns used to season food

18 1.0

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

17 6.7

An old type of gunpowder used in guns and fireworks

black eye
  • Informal
14 4.7

An event that hurts how people see someone

13 1.3

A small shiny black bean used in cooking

Black race
  • Archaic
12 8.6

A group of people with dark skin, often with African heritage, a term now seen as old-fashioned

12 2.8

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

11 4.1

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

10 4.9

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

10 7.4

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

black-tie
  • Formal
10 4.4

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

10 3.4

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

10 5.8

A thing that makes people think less of someone

9 3.2

Completely dark with no light at all

9 6.4

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

9 5.6

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

9 5.8

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

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

8 6.7

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

8 3.9

Very black like coal or a dark night

black box
  • Specialized
8 3.9

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

7 8.6

An unexpected event that has very large and often harmful effects

7 9.9

A group of Black people often involved in crime or violence

black lung
  • Specialized
7 6.7

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

6 2.8

A very dark colour like shiny coal

6 9.9

Magic that people use to call evil spirits and hurt others

6 1.0

Having black or very dark hair

6 3.9

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

5 1.0

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

5 5.7

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

5 3.6

Very dark color that is black with a blue shine

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

A rare solid black gem valued for its dark look

4 7.7

A day in October 1987 when stock markets worldwide crashed sharply

black comedy
  • Literature
4 6.3

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

4 1.4

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

4 6.5

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

4 6.5

Jokes about serious or sad topics that make people laugh

4 8.4

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

3 2.8

Very dark like the color of coal

3 6.6

A day when something very bad or sad happens

black body
  • Specialized
3 8.5

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

3 4.3

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

black spot
  • Informal
3 5.3

An area people see as a weakness or cause of problems

2 7.5

A person who secretly sells scarce or controlled goods for money

2 6.6

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

2 4.1

A very deep black color like coal

Black English
  • Specialized
2 6.9

A form of American English with its own grammar and words, often spoken by African Americans

2 3.3

Very dark like black ink

black belt
  • Specialized
2 3.8

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

2 9.9

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

2 3.0

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

How Evil

diabolical
42 8.2
evil
960 3.0
black
430 7.5
sinister
90 6.1
wicked
112 4.6
disturbing
357 4.2
unpleasant
183 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.