lightless

adjective

light·​less ˈlīt-ləs How to pronounce lightless (audio)
1
: receiving no light : dark
2
: giving no light

Example Sentences

wondered what might be lurking in the lightless corners of the basement
Recent Examples on the Web At night, lightless streets turn into treacherous obstacle courses, especially after snow and rain. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2022 Tracking swarms of flea-size organisms through the lightless depths is trickier than following migrating whales across hemispheres. Katherine Harmon Courage, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2022 After the humans arrived, Fred stayed in his lightless bog for millennia as the land was worked above, the forests shaped by fire and the fields sowed with corn, beans, and squash. Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 Who knew that wriggling through underwater crevices could be pleasurable, that floating in lightless pockets of rock could be Zen? Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021 Toward the end of those years, the Viking and his closest lieutenants were cast into a lightless dungeon, yet nonetheless managed to break out, kidnap the emperor’s mistress and commandeer two galleys. Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2021 The baby fish return to the lightless deep before sunrise. Erik Olsen New York Times, Star Tribune, 15 Apr. 2021 The baby fish return to the lightless deep before sunrise. Erik Olsen New York Times, Star Tribune, 15 Apr. 2021 The baby fish return to the lightless deep before sunrise. Erik Olsen New York Times, Star Tribune, 15 Apr. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lightless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lightless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lightless

Cite this Entry

“Lightless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightless. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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


Challenging Words You Should Know

  • hedgehog reading a book
  • Often used to describe “the march of time,” what does inexorable mean?
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ