benight

An archaic verb meaning to overtake with night, to darken, or to involve in moral or intellectual darkness.

• 🇫🇷Verbe vieilli signifiant surprendre par la nuit, plonger dans les ténèbres ou dans l'obscurité morale ou intellectuelle.

1. Overtake with darkness or night C2 formal british

   To be caught or overtaken by the darkness of night.

   • The travelers were benighted on the mountain pass.
   • We were benighted before reaching the village.
   • The hikers feared being benighted in the forest.

   🇫🇷Être surpris par la nuit

   Synonymes: bedimdarkenenvelopobscureshroud

2. Envelop in intellectual or moral darkness C2 formal british

   To plunge into a state of ignorance, confusion, or moral obscurity.

   • The regime sought to benight the populace through censorship.
   • Superstition can benight even the most rational minds.
   • They were benighted by prejudice and misinformation.

   🇫🇷plonger dans l'ignorance ou l'obscurité morale

   Synonymes: becloudbedimbefogclouddarkeneclipseobscure

   Antonymes: edifyeducateenlightenilluminateinstruct

3. Make dark and difficult to perceive C2 formal british

   To obscure or make something difficult to see or understand.

   • The fog benighted the landscape, hiding the path ahead.
   • His vision was benighted by the sudden glare.
   • The complex jargon benighted the true meaning of the text.

   🇫🇷Assombrir, rendre obscur

   Synonymes: becloudbedimclouddarkendimeclipseobscureovershadowshade

   Antonymes: brightenclarifyenlightenilluminatelighten

• benighted past participle
• benighted past simple
• benighting present participle
• benights third person singular