dark and darkness share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. dark means “devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black”. darkness means “absence of light or illumination”. dark is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɑɹk/
1.adj.devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black
“sitting in a dark corner”
2.adj.(used of color) having a dark hue
“dark green”
3.adj.brunet (used of hair or skin or eyes)
“dark eyes”
/ˈdɑɹknəs/
1.n.absence of light or illumination
2.n.an unilluminated area
“he moved off into the darkness”
3.n.absence of moral or spiritual values
“the powers of darkness”
| dark | darkness | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɑɹk/ | /ˈdɑɹknəs/ |
| Said | dahrk | DAHRK-nuhs |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun | noun |
| Senses | 15 | 6 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | dark |
Full entry for dark · Full entry for darkness · More comparisons