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inky-black

inky-black

1 3.3
Very dark like black ink
  • adjective
  • /ˈɪŋki blæk/
translation icon : negro tinta
  • At five foot ten, with inky black hair, pale skin, and high, sculpted cheekbones, Samantha looks like a young Anjelica Huston.
  • inky-black night
  • inky-black sky
  • inky-black waters

Examples

  • There's a big, inky black sky.

    Blog text (19)
  • The endless inky black abyss above.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The Corbires served with it; it was rich and inky black.

    Blog text (23)
  • From the surface, the water of Inle Lake appears inky black, like an obsidian mirror, yet it's extremely clear.

    Blog text (27)
  • He poured us both glasses, and we sat on the couch, looking out at a royal blue sky and an inky black ocean.

    Blog text (2)
  • She approached the elder, a fat, dignified man who busily washed the inky black fur of a cat not far out of kittenhood.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The lake looked eerie, its surface reflecting the inky-black night sky.

  • Under the streetlight, the inky-black shadows created an atmosphere of mystery.

  • He painted the room a deep inky-black to make the colors of the artwork pop.

Synonyms

inky
vsinky-black
14 2.8

Very dark in color like black ink

has identical meaning but is the selected headword here
blue-black
vsinky-black
4 3.6

Very dark color that is black with a blue shine

is a straightforward deep black lacking that blue hint
jet-black
vsinky-black
3 3.9

Very black like coal or a dark night

expresses the same pure darkness but is described via liquid likeness
ebony
vsinky-black
2 5.1

Very dark black like deep night

is equally rich but emphasises darkness like liquid pigment
jet black
vsinky-black
1 2.8

A very dark colour like shiny coal

matches that depth yet focuses on the liquid black comparison
dark-colored
vsinky-black
  • US
1 1.3

Having a dark shade, like deep blue or black

is a specific deep black resembling dark liquid pigment rather than general darkness
coal-black
vsinky-black
1 4.1

A very deep black color like coal

keeps the same intensity while serving as the main label
ink-black
vsinky-black
1 3.2

Very dark black like raven feathers in the sun

shares the exact color sense while serving as the main entry
gray-black
vsinky-black
  • US
1 3.1

A dark color that is black with a little grey

is a truer deep black without grey mixing
coal black
vsinky-black
1 2.8

Very dark like the color of coal

is the same deep black but emphasises liquid darkness here
bluish black
vsinky-black
1 3.7

A very dark color like black with a slight hint of blue

is pure deep black without any noticeable color tint
purple-black
vsinky-black
1 3.3

Very dark black with a slight purple tint

is a pure deep black without that purple tinge
brown-black
vsinky-black
1 3.2

A very dark brown color with a hint of black

is a cooler, purer deep black lacking brown warmth
soot-black
vsinky-black
5.5

Very black in color like dust left by a fire

matches that deep darkness but is the primary term used here
sooty-black
vsinky-black
4.7

Very deep black like soot

expresses the same intense darkness while acting as the key concept
soot black
vsinky-black
4.9

A very dark color like the black dust from a fire

is equally deep but framed here as the reference term
ebon
vsinky-black
  • Literature
9.9

Very deep black in color

is similar in depth but is the more neutral descriptive term
atramentous
vsinky-black
  • Archaic
9.9

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

keeps the pure deep color sense without the extra gloomy meaning
slate-black
vsinky-black
5.6

Very dark black with a slight bluish grey tint

is a fuller pure black rather than a grey tinged one
grayish-black
vsinky-black
  • US
3.2

A very dark color that looks like black with a little grey

is deeper and purer black without the greyish tone
purplish-black
vsinky-black
3.4

A very dark color that looks slightly purple

is plain deep black without any purple shading

Antonyms

1.0

A very light color that reflects most visible light like snow

10 2.4

Not dark in color, often pale like white

How Dark

pitch-black
8 3.4
jet-black
3 3.9
inky-black
1 3.3
black
1.0
dark
1.0

Surface Forms

inky-black positive

Morphology

inky-black = inky + black (transparent) = inky + black

A straightforward compound of 'inky' and 'black' where the meaning 'deep black like ink' is directly derived from the components.

Etymology

Inky-black comes from inky ('like ink') and black, and gives the image of something as dark as the black liquid used for writing, so it means a very deep black color.