Black (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Distributed or sold illicitly; "the black economy pays no taxes".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Offering little or no hope; "the future looked black"; "prospects were bleak"; "Life in the Aran Islands has always been bleak and difficult"- J.M.Synge; "took a dim view of things".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The economic outlook was black for the foreseeable future.
- Her chances of recovery looked black after the diagnosis.
- The future prospects of the small business were black and uncertain.
- Life in the remote village had always been black and challenging.
- The situation was black, with no clear solution in sight.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
(used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame; "Man...has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands"- Rachel Carson; "an ignominious retreat"; "inglorious defeat"; "an opprobrious monument to human greed"; "a shameful display of cowardice".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 4
Extremely dark; "a black moonless night"; "through the pitch-black woods"; "it was pitch-dark in the cellar".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
(of the face) made black especially as with suffused blood; "a face black with fury".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 7
Marked by anger or resentment or hostility; "black looks"; "black words".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Meaning 8
Of or belonging to a racial group especially of sub-Saharan African origin; "a great people--a black people--...injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization"- Martin Luther King Jr..
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Antonyms
Meaning 9
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin; "the stock market crashed on Black Friday"; "a calamitous defeat"; "the battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign"; "such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory"- Charles Darwin; "it is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it"- Douglas MacArthur; "a fateful error".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 10
Stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable; "black deeds"; "a black lie"; "his black heart has concocted yet another black deed"; "Darth Vader of the dark side"; "a dark purpose"; "dark undercurrents of ethnic hostility"; "the scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him"-Thomas Hardy.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 11
Harshly ironic or sinister; "black humor"; "a grim joke"; "grim laughter"; "fun ranging from slapstick clowning ... to savage mordant wit".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Meaning 12
Soiled with dirt or soot; "with feet black from playing outdoors"; "his shirt was black within an hour".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 13
(of intelligence operations) deliberately misleading; "black propaganda".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The black campaign launched by the nation's counterintelligence agency aimed to discredit the enemy's leader through false reports.
- Intelligence agencies often use black operations to spread misinformation and create confusion among their adversaries.
- The news article was part of a black propaganda effort to shift public opinion against the opposition party.
- Black campaigns frequently involve leaking fabricated information to the press to shape public perception.
- The whistleblower claimed the government was behind the black operation that fabricated evidence to incriminate the innocent activist.
Meaning 14
Being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light; "black leather jackets"; "as black as coal"; "rich black soil".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The little black dress is a timeless fashion staple that suits most occasions.
- The artist mixed black and white paint to create a range of subtle grays.
- The black sand on the beach was a result of the island's volcanic geology.
- She carefully polished the black leather shoes to remove the scuff marks.
- The rich black soil in the garden was perfect for growing vegetables and flowers.