暗い・昏い・冥い・闇い|くらいkurai[0]heiban (flat)

1. i-adjectivedark; gloomy; murky
   あたりがもう暗くらくなっていることに気きがついた。↗

   I observed that it had already got dark.
2. i-adjectivedepressed; dispirited; down in the dumps; dark (mood)
3. i-adjectivedark (in colour); dull
4. i-adjectiveill-boding; dark (e.g. past); suspicious
5. i-adjectiveunlikely (to succeed); hopeless; unpromising
6. i-adjectiveunfamiliar (with); ignorant (of)as 〜に暗い

• Synonym薄暗いうすぐらいNeutralSlightly dark, with too little light, as in 「薄暗い部屋」; a milder degree of darkness than 「暗い」.
• Synonym真っ暗まっくらNeutralPitch-dark, with no light at all; also figuratively for a future with no hope, as in 「お先真っ暗」.
• SynonymダークCasualLoanword for dark colors or the dark side of things, as in 「ダークスーツ」「ダークな話」.
• Synonym陰気いんきNeutralGloomy, uncheerful personalities or atmospheres, as in 「陰気な人」.
• Synonymほの暗いほのぐらいWrittenDim with a faint glow seeping through; found mostly in written description — in everyday speech 「薄暗い」 is the usual word.
• Synonym小暗いおぐらいWrittenOld-fashioned word for dusky, shadowy dimness, as in 「小暗い森」; rarely used — say 「薄暗い」 in daily speech.
• Related湿っぽいしめっぽいCasualColloquial: damp and humid, or of an atmosphere, sentimental and dreary, as in 「湿っぽい話」.
• Related憂鬱ゆううつNeutralA depressed, listless state of mind, as in 「憂鬱な気分」; centers on the mood itself.
• Related暗黒あんこくWrittenTotal darkness; figuratively a dark period of history or life, as in 「暗黒時代」. Written register.
• RelatedうっとうしいCasualColloquial: for dreary, oppressive weather or anything that gets on your nerves, as in 「梅雨はうっとうしい」.
• Related陰湿いんしつNeutralSpiteful and underhanded, as in 「陰湿ないじめ」; can also describe damp, sunless places.
• Related重苦しいおもくるしいNeutralFor heavy, oppressive atmospheres, as in 「重苦しい沈黙」.
• Related重いおもいNeutralHeavy hearts and heavy atmospheres, as in 「気が重い」; stresses the weight of pressure.
• Related重たいおもたいCasualColloquial variant of 「重い」 for leaden moods and air, as in 「重たい空気」.
• Related陰鬱いんうつWrittenFor gloomy, oppressive moods and atmospheres, as in 「陰鬱な空」; strongly literary in tone.
• Related暗鬱あんうつWrittenWritten word for dark, heavy feelings or outlooks; used very rarely.
• RelatedやるせないWrittenGloom with no way to vent it, as in 「やるせない気持ち」; carries a literary feel.
• Related物寂しいものさびしいWrittenA vague sense of loneliness and desolation, as in 「もの寂しい秋の夕暮れ」; written style.
• Related陰々滅々いんいんめつめつWrittenFour-character idiom for gloom and depression at its worst; exaggerated and literary.
• RelatedわびしいWrittenForlorn, dreary circumstances or a shabby life, as in 「侘しい一人暮らし」; written register.
• Related沈鬱ちんうつWrittenWritten word for a sunk, melancholy state of mind, as in 「沈鬱な表情」.
• Related寒々しいさむざむしいWrittenBleak, desolate scenery, as in 「寒々しい風景」; written style.
• Antonym明るいあかるいNeutralThe antonym of 「暗い」: bright with plenty of light, and by extension a cheerful personality.

「暗い」 is the default for dark places and gloomy moods. 「薄暗い」 for dimness, 「真っ暗」 for pitch darkness, 「憂鬱」 for a low mood, 「陰気」 for a gloomy personality, 「侘しい」 for bleak, shabby living, 「明るい」 for the bright opposite. The rest: 「ほの暗い」/「小暗い」 literary dimness; 「陰鬱」/「暗鬱」/「沈鬱」 written gloom; 「湿っぽい」/「鬱陶しい」 colloquial dreariness or irritation; 「重い」/「重たい」/「重苦しい」 heavy, oppressive moods; 「ダーク」 dark colors or a dark side; 「陰湿」 spitefulness; the remainder are literary shades of misery and desolation.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 光ひかりが乏とぼしい。光ひかりが遮さえぎられている。
2. 色いろが濃こく、他たとの区別くべつがしにくい。
3. 【陰かげい】気分きぶんや性格せいかくが落ち込おちこんでいる。態度たいどが後向うしろむき。
4. 上手うまく行いきそうにない。先行さきゆきが悪わるい。心配しんぱい。
5. よく知しらない。うとい。