63 Similes for Dark: Illuminating Darkness

Darkness can evoke a range of emotions and ideas, from fear to mystery. Similes help illuminate the nuances of this often misunderstood concept, allowing us to convey our thoughts in vivid and relatable ways.

In exploring these similes for darkness, we reveal the layers of meaning that darkness can embody. Each simile serves as a window into the feelings and imagery associated with the absence of light.

Table of Contents

1. Dark as a raven’s wing

Meaning: This simile suggests an intense, deep blackness, often associated with mystery and elegance.
In a Sentence: The night sky was dark as a raven’s wing, holding secrets yet to be unveiled.
Other Ways to Say: Dark as coal, black as ink, shadowy like a crow.

2. Dark as a moonless night

Meaning: This phrase highlights total darkness, evoking feelings of isolation and the unknown.
In a Sentence: She felt lost in a world dark as a moonless night, with no guiding light in sight.
Other Ways to Say: Dark as pitch, void of light, black as a cave.

3. Dark like the depths of the ocean

Meaning: This simile conveys a profound and unfathomable darkness, full of hidden dangers and mysteries.
In a Sentence: His thoughts were dark like the depths of the ocean, swirling with unspoken fears.
Other Ways to Say: Deep as a well, shadowy as a trench, obscure as the abyss.

4. Dark as the inside of a coffin

Meaning: This phrase evokes a chilling sense of finality and fear, suggesting an impenetrable and suffocating darkness.
In a Sentence: The abandoned house felt dark as the inside of a coffin, pressing down on her with a heavy silence.
Other Ways to Say: Dark as a tomb, gloomy as a crypt, shadowy like a grave.

5. Dark as a stormy sky

Meaning: This simile captures the foreboding and chaotic nature of darkness associated with impending storms.
In a Sentence: The horizon was dark as a stormy sky, signaling trouble was on the way.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy as thunderclouds, ominous like a tempest, black as a brewing storm.

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6. Dark like burnt toast

Meaning: This simile humorously conveys a sense of unpleasantness and bitterness associated with darkness.
In a Sentence: His mood turned dark like burnt toast, leaving a bitter taste in the conversation.
Other Ways to Say: Black as charred wood, bleak as overcooked food, dreary like ash.

7. Dark as an eclipse

Meaning: This simile evokes the temporary and dramatic nature of darkness, suggesting a powerful transformation.
In a Sentence: The room fell dark as an eclipse, as if the sun itself had chosen to hide.
Other Ways to Say: Shadowy like a solar occlusion, dim as a hidden star, obscure like a celestial event.

8.

Meaning: This phrase suggests a rich, deep darkness that is both beautiful and slightly menacing.
In a Sentence: The forest was dark like a wolf’s fur, hiding secrets behind every tree.
Other Ways to Say: Black as nightshade, deep as obsidian, shadowy like midnight.

9. Dark as a black hole

Meaning: This simile conveys an intense and all-consuming darkness, suggesting a sense of danger and inevitability.
In a Sentence: His despair felt dark as a black hole, pulling everything good into its void.
Other Ways to Say: Empty as the cosmos, void like a vacuum, bleak as nothingness.

10. Dark like a cave

Meaning: This simile evokes a sense of confinement and mystery, suggesting hidden depths and secrets.
In a Sentence: The cellar was dark like a cave, filled with echoes of forgotten memories.
Other Ways to Say: Shadowy as a grotto, dim like a hollow, obscure like a cavern.

11. Dark as a winter’s night

Meaning: This phrase captures the cold and isolating feeling of darkness, often associated with harsh conditions.
In a Sentence: The street was dark as a winter’s night, the chill seeping into his bones.
Other Ways to Say: Cold as a frigid evening, bleak like a frostbitten dusk, dreary like a frozen landscape.

12. Dark as a crow’s feather

Meaning: This simile suggests a glossy, rich blackness, often associated with elegance and mystery.
In a Sentence: Her dress was dark as a crow’s feather, shimmering under the dim lights.
Other Ways to Say: Deep as midnight, sleek like onyx, shadowy like a raven.

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13. Dark like a shadow

Meaning: This simile emphasizes the fleeting and elusive nature of darkness, as well as its omnipresence.
In a Sentence: He moved through the room dark like a shadow, unnoticed and silent.
Other Ways to Say: Dim as twilight, obscure as dusk, faint like an apparition.

14. Dark as a thunderstorm

Meaning: This phrase conveys a sense of foreboding and power, often associated with tumultuous feelings.
In a Sentence: Her mood shifted dark as a thunderstorm, brewing with unspoken tension.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a tempest, heavy as rain clouds, threatening like lightning.

15. Dark like a hidden truth

Meaning: This simile reflects the idea that darkness can conceal deeper realities, often with a sense of intrigue.
In a Sentence: The conversation turned dark like a hidden truth, revealing layers of complexity.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like a secret, veiled like a lie, shadowy as a mystery.

16. Dark as an unlit room

Meaning: This phrase highlights a stark absence of light, conveying feelings of emptiness and isolation.
In a Sentence: The house felt dark as an unlit room, echoing with memories long gone.
Other Ways to Say: Dim like a closed space, void of brightness, still as a shadowy corner.

17. Dark like a funeral pall

Meaning: This simile evokes somberness and finality, often associated with grief and loss.
In a Sentence: The atmosphere was dark like a funeral pall, heavy with unspoken sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy as mourning, somber like a wake, bleak as a burial.

18. Dark as a secret garden

Meaning: This simile suggests a hidden beauty within darkness, evoking mystery and allure.
In a Sentence: The abandoned lot was dark as a secret garden, filled with untamed beauty.
Other Ways to Say: Enigmatic like a hidden oasis, shadowy like a forgotten place, obscure like a lost treasure.

19. Dark like a forgotten memory

Meaning: This phrase conveys the haunting quality of darkness, suggesting the weight of the past.
In a Sentence: His thoughts drifted dark like a forgotten memory, lingering just beyond reach.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like an old photograph, elusive like time, shadowy as nostalgia.

20. Dark as the nightingale’s song

Meaning: This simile suggests a beauty that is intertwined with sadness, evoking deep emotional resonance.
In a Sentence: Her voice was dark as the nightingale’s song, enchanting yet tinged with melancholy.
Other Ways to Say: Deep like a mournful tune, rich as a ballad, haunting like a serenade.

21. Dark like a winter forest

Meaning: This simile captures the stark and eerie beauty of darkness in nature, filled with hidden dangers.
In a Sentence: The path ahead was dark like a winter forest, shrouded in mystery and silence.
Other Ways to Say: Shadowy as a thicket, deep as a woodland, obscure like an overgrown trail.

22. Dark as a burnt-out star

Meaning: This simile suggests a sense of lost brilliance and despair, evoking feelings of emptiness.
In a Sentence: His hopes felt dark as a burnt-out star, flickering with no chance of reignition.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like a dying ember, bleak as extinguished light, void as a blackened sky.

23. Dark like an ancient tomb

Meaning: This phrase evokes a sense of history and permanence, suggesting a weighty darkness.
In a Sentence: The library felt dark like an ancient tomb, filled with the whispers of forgotten knowledge.
Other Ways to Say: Gloomy as a relic, somber like a historical site, shadowy like a burial ground.

24. Dark as a shroud

Meaning: This simile conveys a sense of concealment and mystery, evoking feelings of fear or protection.
In a Sentence: The fog lay dark as a shroud over the town, hiding everything in its depths.
Other Ways to Say: Veiled like a mystery, obscured like a cloak, hidden like a secret.

25. Dark like a hidden cave

Meaning: This simile suggests both danger and intrigue, highlighting the unknown aspects of darkness.
In a Sentence: The alley was dark like a hidden cave, filled with shadows that danced in the night.
Other Ways to Say: Mysterious like a dungeon, shadowy as a hollow, obscure like a grotto.

26. Dark as a midnight train

Meaning: This phrase conveys a sense of movement through darkness, evoking feelings of adventure or foreboding.
In a Sentence: They rode the bus home, feeling dark as a midnight train, hurtling through the unknown.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a freight, shadowy as a night journey, black as a locomotive.

27. Dark like an empty theater

Meaning: This simile evokes feelings of loneliness and anticipation, suggesting a void filled with possibility.
In a Sentence: The room felt dark like an empty theater, waiting for the next act to begin.
Other Ways to Say: Silent like a stage, vacant as a performance, shadowy like a forgotten play.

28. Dark as a raven’s call

Meaning: This simile suggests a haunting and mysterious quality, evoking foreboding feelings.
In a Sentence: The night was dark as a raven’s call, echoing through the stillness with an unsettling resonance.
Other Ways to Say: Eerie as a ghostly sound, haunting like a distant whisper, shadowy like an omen.

29. Dark like a shadowy figure

Meaning: This phrase conveys a sense of fear and uncertainty, suggesting hidden motives or intentions.
In a Sentence: The alley was dark like a shadowy figure, lurking just out of sight.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous as a phantom, obscure like a lurking presence, murky as a hidden threat.

30. Dark as a forgotten path

Meaning: This simile suggests a sense of neglect and the unknown, evoking feelings of nostalgia and curiosity.
In a Sentence: The trail was dark as a forgotten path, overgrown and lost to time.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as an ancient route, shadowy like a hidden trail, veiled like a lost journey.

31. Dark like a deep well

Meaning: This simile conveys the depth and mystery of darkness, suggesting hidden treasures or dangers below.
In a Sentence: Her thoughts were dark like a deep well, filled with echoes of the past.
Other Ways to Say: Profound as an abyss, shadowy like a bottomless pit, obscure as a darkened shaft.

32. Dark as a velvet night

Meaning: This phrase suggests a luxurious and rich darkness, evoking feelings of calm and beauty.
In a Sentence: The evening sky was dark as a velvet night, inviting dreams and reflections.
Other Ways to Say: Deep like a rich fabric, smooth as satin, shadowy like a deep hue.

33. Dark like a closed door

Meaning: This simile conveys a sense of finality and exclusion, suggesting what is hidden away.
In a Sentence: The opportunity felt dark like a closed door, leaving her yearning for what could have been.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as a barrier, veiled like a boundary, shadowy like a locked space.

34. Dark as a crow’s call

Meaning: Suggests a haunting and eerie quality, evoking mystery and foreboding.
In a Sentence: The night felt dark as a crow’s call, echoing through the silence.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a raven’s cry, shadowy as a ghostly whisper, eerie like a distant song.

35. Dark like a hidden treasure

Meaning: Evokes the allure and mystery of something valuable yet concealed.
In a Sentence: The cave was dark like a hidden treasure, promising secrets just out of reach.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as buried gold, shadowy like a lost gem, veiled like a prized possession.

36. Dark as a midnight forest

Meaning: Conveys a sense of deep mystery and the unknown lurking in nature.
In a Sentence: The woods were dark as a midnight forest, filled with the rustling of unseen creatures.
Other Ways to Say: Shadowy as an enchanted grove, deep like a twilight thicket, mysterious like a hidden glade.

37. Dark like a closed book

Meaning: Suggests untold stories and secrets waiting to be revealed.
In a Sentence: His past felt dark like a closed book, filled with chapters he couldn’t share.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like a forgotten novel, hidden like a lost tale, veiled like an unread story.

38. Dark as a winter’s chill

Meaning: Conveys a biting, oppressive darkness that can drain warmth and comfort.
In a Sentence: The air outside was dark as a winter’s chill, sapping the energy from everyone who stepped out.
Other Ways to Say: Frigid like a cold breeze, bleak as a frosty night, harsh like a bitter wind.

39. Dark like an unfurling storm

Meaning: Evokes a sense of impending chaos and uncertainty.
In a Sentence: The day turned dark like an unfurling storm, with clouds gathering ominously overhead.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous as a brewing tempest, shadowy like a looming threat, foreboding like dark clouds.

40. Dark as a midnight ocean

Meaning: Suggests vastness and depth, filled with unknown mysteries beneath the surface.
In a Sentence: The sea appeared dark as a midnight ocean, hiding secrets far below the waves.
Other Ways to Say: Deep like an abyss, shadowy as unexplored depths, obscure like a hidden tide.

41. Dark like a secret passage

Meaning: Conveys the intrigue and mystery of hidden routes and unexplored paths.
In a Sentence: The alley felt dark like a secret passage, leading to unknown adventures.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as a hidden trail, shadowy like a concealed entry, veiled like a mysterious route.

42. Dark as a ghostly figure

Meaning: Suggests an unsettling presence, evoking fear and intrigue.
In a Sentence: The hallway was dark as a ghostly figure, sending shivers down her spine.
Other Ways to Say: Eerie like a phantom, shadowy as a specter, haunting like a wraith.

43. Dark like a pot of ink

Meaning: Evokes richness and depth, suggesting both creativity and potential chaos.
In a Sentence: Her thoughts were dark like a pot of ink, overflowing with ideas yet to be expressed.
Other Ways to Say: Deep as midnight blue, shadowy like a writer’s desk, rich like a painter’s palette.

44. Dark as an uncharted territory

Meaning: Suggests the unknown, filled with potential discoveries and risks.
In a Sentence: His emotions felt dark as an uncharted territory, vast and unexplored.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like a blank map, shadowy as a hidden landscape, mysterious like a distant land.

45. Dark like a forgotten song

Meaning: Evokes nostalgia and a sense of loss, suggesting beauty lost to time.
In a Sentence: The memory of their love was dark like a forgotten song, echoing in the back of her mind.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like an old melody, haunting as a distant tune, obscure like an unheard ballad.

46. Dark as a silent scream

Meaning: Conveys the intensity of concealed emotions and unexpressed pain.
In a Sentence: Her heart felt dark as a silent scream, yearning to be heard yet trapped inside.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a stifled cry, shadowy as hidden anguish, deep like unvoiced sorrow.

47. Dark like an empty stage

Meaning: Suggests potential and anticipation, waiting for something to unfold.
In a Sentence: The theater was dark like an empty stage, ready for the next act to begin.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as a blank canvas, shadowy like a paused performance, veiled like a hidden drama.

48. Dark as a twisted vine

Meaning: Evokes complexity and entanglement, suggesting hidden dangers.
In a Sentence: Her thoughts were dark as a twisted vine, wrapping around her mind with no escape.
Other Ways to Say: Complicated like a tangled web, shadowy as a dense thicket, obscure like a maze.

49. Dark like a lion’s den

Meaning: Suggests danger and hidden threats, often lurking just out of sight.
In a Sentence: The city felt dark like a lion’s den, with danger lurking around every corner.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous as a predator’s lair, shadowy like a hidden trap, foreboding like a wild territory.

50. Dark as a deep breath

Meaning: Suggests a moment of introspection and the weight of unspoken thoughts.
In a Sentence: She took a deep breath, feeling dark as a deep breath, filled with unexpressed emotions.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy like a sigh, shadowy as silence, deep like a moment of reflection

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51. Dark like a forgotten dream

Meaning: Evokes a sense of nostalgia and loss, suggesting beauty that has faded.
In a Sentence: The memory felt dark like a forgotten dream, drifting away as she awoke.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like a lost fantasy, shadowy as a faded vision, elusive like a distant hope.

52. Dark as a lurking shadow

Meaning: Conveys a sense of danger and unseen threats, always present but not always visible.
In a Sentence: He felt dark as a lurking shadow, always watching but never seen.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a hidden presence, shadowy as a concealed threat, foreboding like a stalking figure.

53. Dark like a midnight sky

Meaning: Suggests a vast, serene darkness that can also inspire wonder.
In a Sentence: The world outside was dark like a midnight sky, dotted with stars that promised hope.
Other Ways to Say: Deep as an endless void, shadowy like a celestial expanse, rich like a starry night.

54. Dark as a withered leaf

Meaning: Evokes the sense of decay and loss, suggesting a fading beauty.
In a Sentence: The garden felt dark as a withered leaf, beauty lost to the passage of time.
Other Ways to Say: Faded like autumn’s end, shadowy as a dried petal, bleak like a dying bloom.

55. Dark like a brick wall

Meaning: Suggests impenetrability and a sense of confinement or frustration.
In a Sentence: His feelings were dark like a brick wall, solid and unyielding against her attempts to reach him.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy as a barrier, shadowy like an impassable obstacle, obscure like a closed-off space.

56. Dark as a forgotten alley

Meaning: Conveys a sense of neglect and hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.
In a Sentence: The street was dark as a forgotten alley, filled with the remnants of past lives.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like an abandoned path, shadowy as a hidden corner, veiled like a lost way.

57. Dark like a coal mine

Meaning: Suggests deep, oppressive darkness, often associated with hard labor and hidden dangers.
In a Sentence: The basement was dark like a coal mine, filled with the weight of unspoken fears.
Other Ways to Say: Deep as an underground pit, shadowy like hidden tunnels, obscure like a laborer’s plight.

58. Dark as a stormy sea

Meaning: Evokes chaos and danger, suggesting a tumultuous emotional landscape.
In a Sentence: Her thoughts churned dark as a stormy sea, unpredictable and fierce.
Other Ways to Say: Turbulent like raging waters, shadowy as a tempest, ominous like crashing waves.

59. Dark like a shadowed thought

Meaning: Suggests the weight of unexpressed feelings and lingering doubts.
In a Sentence: His mind was dark like a shadowed thought, clouded with uncertainty.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like an unspoken worry, shadowy as a lingering doubt, deep like a hidden fear.

60. Dark as a flickering candle

Meaning: Conveys a fragile, transient quality of darkness, suggesting uncertainty and impermanence.
In a Sentence: The room felt dark as a flickering candle, wavering between light and shadow.
Other Ways to Say: Dim like a wavering flame, shadowy as a dancing light, unstable like a fleeting glow.

61. Dark like a twisted road

Meaning: Suggests unpredictability and potential danger, evoking feelings of unease.
In a Sentence: The journey felt dark like a twisted road, uncertain and full of surprises.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure like a winding path, shadowy as a crooked route, treacherous like a hidden trail.

62. Dark as a distant thunder

Meaning: Evokes a sense of foreboding and impending change, suggesting a storm on the horizon.
In a Sentence: The atmosphere felt dark as a distant thunder, signaling that something was coming.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous like a brewing storm, shadowy as a coming tempest, foreboding like approaching rain.

63. Dark like a heavy curtain

Meaning: Suggests concealment and the weight of unexpressed emotions, evoking a sense of drama.
In a Sentence: Her eyes were dark like a heavy curtain, hiding the turmoil beneath the surface.
Other Ways to Say: Obscure as a thick drape, shadowy like a veiled secret, deep like a closed-off space.

Quiz: Similes for Dark

Question 1

What does the simile “dark as a raven’s wing” convey?

A) Intense, deep blackness
B) A sense of humor
C) Brightness and clarity
D) Lightheartedness
Answer: A) Intense, deep blackness

Question 2

Which simile suggests total darkness and isolation?

A) Dark as a crow’s feather
B) Dark as a moonless night
C) Dark as a velvet night
D) Dark as a flickering candle
Answer: B) Dark as a moonless night

Question 3

What feeling does “dark like the depths of the ocean” evoke?

A) Lightness and joy
B) Profound mystery and danger
C) Clarity and understanding
D) Simplicity and ease
Answer: B) Profound mystery and danger

Question 4

The phrase “dark as a closed book” suggests:

A) Unfinished stories and secrets
B) Clarity and openness
C) Joyful memories
D) A sense of humor
Answer: A) Unfinished stories and secrets

Question 5

What does the simile “dark like a shadowy figure” imply?

A) Safety and comfort
B) A sense of danger and uncertainty
C) Brightness and clarity
D) Humor and lightheartedness
Answer: B) A sense of danger and uncertainty

Question 6

Which simile evokes nostalgia and loss?

A) Dark as a lion’s den
B) Dark like a forgotten dream
C) Dark as a midnight ocean
D) Dark like a coal mine
Answer: B) Dark like a forgotten dream

Question 7

What does “dark as a twisted vine” suggest?

A) Simplicity and ease
B) Complexity and entanglement
C) Brightness and clarity
D) Safety and comfort
Answer: B) Complexity and entanglement

Question 8

The phrase “dark as a heavy curtain” conveys:

A) Concealment and drama
B) Openness and clarity
C) Lightness and ease
D) Joyful experiences
Answer: A) Concealment and drama

Question 9

Which simile suggests beauty lost to time?

A) Dark as a stormy sea
B) Dark as a hidden treasure
C) Dark like a withered leaf
D) Dark as a flickering candle
Answer: C) Dark like a withered leaf

Question 10

What feeling does “dark as an unlit room” evoke?

A) Warmth and comfort
B) Emptiness and isolation
C) Clarity and brightness
D) Joyfulness and laughter
Answer: B) Emptiness and isolation

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