black
blak
Black (adj) means having the darkest possible color; reflecting no light. Example: “She wore a black dress to the funeral.”
adj
1
Having the darkest possible color; reflecting no light.
"She wore a black dress to the funeral."
"The sky turned black as the storm rolled in."
"The cat's black fur made it hard to see at night."
2
Belonging to or descended from certain ethnic groups, especially of African origin, with dark skin.
"The museum hosted an exhibit on Black history."
"Black communities have shaped music in countless ways around the world."
"He joined a society that supports Black entrepreneurs in the city."
3
Without milk or cream, said of coffee or tea.
"He always drinks his coffee black."
"I'll have mine black, with no sugar, please."
"Would you like your tea black or with a splash of milk?"
4
Secret or unofficial, especially relating to government or military operations.
"The agency ran a black operation nobody was meant to know about."
"The report revealed a black budget hidden from public view."
"Journalists uncovered a black programme that had never been announced."
5
Grim, hopeless, or menacing.
"He was in a black mood after the meeting."
"A black cloud of despair settled over the team after the defeat."
"Those were black days, and nobody thought things would improve."
noun
1
The color of black; total absence of reflected light.
"The room was painted entirely in black."
"Black goes with almost everything in my wardrobe."
"The artist mixed deep blue and brown to make a rich black."
2
A person who is Black, i.e. of African or similarly dark-skinned descent.
"The event celebrated the achievements of Blacks in science."
verb
1
To make something black, or to refuse to handle goods or work as a form of industrial protest.
"The dockers blacked the shipment in support of the strike."
"He blacked his boots with polish before the parade."
"The union blacked the firm's goods until the dispute ended."
How to use black
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe darkest color, or (capitalized) referring to Black people and their identity and culture.
UK vs US
Capitalization of "Black" when referring to people/ethnicity is now standard style in most major style guides.
Common pairings
pitch black
black coffee
black market
black humor
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Word forms
- Plural
- blacks
- Third person singular
- blacks
- Past tense
- blacked
- Comparative
- blacker, more black
- Superlative
- blackest, most black
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She wore a _____ dress to the funeral.
Etymology
From Old English blæc ("black, dark; also ink"), ultimately from a root meaning "burnt" — related to words for burning and scorching in several old languages.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for black
See all rhymes for black →Frequently asked questions
What does “black” mean?
The word “black” means having the darkest possible color; reflecting no light. In plain terms, the darkest color, or (capitalized) referring to Black people and their identity and culture.
How do you pronounce “black”?
“Black” is pronounced blak (/blæk/ in IPA).
How do you use “black” in a sentence?
Here is “black” used in a sentence: “She wore a black dress to the funeral.”
What is another word for “black”?
Words with a similar meaning to “black” include atramental, atramentous, black as a dog's guts, black as coal, black as Newgate's knocker and black as night.
What is the opposite of “black”?
The opposite of “black” — its antonyms — is white.
What part of speech is “black”?
Depending on how it is used, “black” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “black” come from?
The word “black” comes from Old English. From Old English blæc ("black, dark; also ink"), ultimately from a root meaning "burnt" — related to words for burning and scorching in several old languages.
Is “black” a common word?
“Black” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
Is black a color?
It depends on the field. In everyday language and in paint or printing, black is treated as a colour. In physics, black is the absence of visible light, since a black surface absorbs nearly all wavelengths and reflects none. So black is a colour in art and design, but technically 'no light' in science.
What is the opposite of black?
White is the opposite of black. Where black absorbs light and reflects none, white reflects nearly all of it, which is why the two sit at opposite ends of the greyscale. The pairing also carries figurative contrasts, such as dark and light or, in many expressions, bad and good.
What is the difference between 'black' and 'dark'?
Black is a single, exact colour — the darkest possible, reflecting no light. 'Dark' is a broader term meaning low in light or deep in shade, so any colour can be dark: dark blue, dark green, dark grey. All black things are dark, but not everything dark is black.
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