pitch-black

adjective

ˈpich-ˈblak How to pronounce pitch-black (audio)
Definition of pitch-blacknext
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light finding anything in a pitch-black room is almost impossible

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in black
having the color of soot or coal a pitch-black cat with green eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pitch-black Teamed with pitch-black talons and purple lips, the short hairdo added a futuristic feel to the front row. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026 In flight tests, the tiny drone navigated pitch-black enclosures, mapped unknown room layouts, hugged surface contours, and located exits without a single visual cue. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026 Distant lights – maybe car lights or fireflies – dance across a pitch-black night scene. — John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Why a seemingly pilotless drone shows up to beckon Ella into a pitch-black parking garage? — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pitch-black
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitch-black
  1. darkened
  2. black
  3. dark
  4. pitch-dark
  5. murky
Adjective
  • Around them stand darkened houses, and uncollected trash piles up on the street.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • Nowhere was that fact clearer than after each concert in the casino where rivers of black Metallica T-shirts flooded the pit.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Associated Press BACKA TOPOLA, Serbia -- Ireland players again wore black armbands and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem before the teams’ second Nations League soccer match on Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of black
Adjective
  • There’s nothing about the white bedding, dark-wood furniture, and tan carpeting that will knock your socks off—but nothing that will make your toes curl, either.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino and screenwriter Simon Rich mold the material from dark humor through technocratic giddiness to sobering horror.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • The music is quiet but powerful, blending pitch-dark tones and sunny melodies in ways that can recall Elliott Smith, Joanna Newsom, and Animal Collective, among other left-field heroes.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
  • The 21st century has yielded no shortage of stylish horror marbled with devious veins of pitch-dark humor — Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, pretty much every Jordan Peele feature.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Definition of pitch-dark
Adjective
  • For indie investors, the pathway to getting their money back gets murkier by the day.
    — Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The situation became murkier as French lawyer Suzane Blum took increasing control over the affairs of Simpson, who had become increasingly paranoid and befuddled.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of murky

Browse Nearby Words

pitch
pitch-black
pitch-dark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pitch-black.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitch-black. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All