| English Dictionary |
BENIGHTED
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does benighted mean?
• BENIGHTED (adjective)
The adjective BENIGHTED has 2 senses:
1. overtaken by night or darkness
2. lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture
Familiarity information: BENIGHTED used as an adjective is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Overtaken by night or darkness
Synonyms:
benighted; nighted
Context example:
benighted (or nighted) travelers hurrying toward home
Similar:
unpunctual (not punctual; after the appointed time)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture
Synonyms:
benighted; dark
Context example:
a dark age in the history of education
Similar:
unenlightened (not enlightened; ignorant)
Context examples
The poor, benighted innocent had never seen such a man.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
But Miss Mills, mistrusting the acceptability of her presence to the higher powers, had not yet gone; and we were all benighted in the Desert of Sahara.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
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