swarthy
/ˈswɔɹði/ adjective, noun
Forms swarthier swarthiest swarthies
- adjective Tawny, dusky, dark.
- adjective (somewhat derogatory) Dark-skinned; black.
- adjective Darker-skinned than white, but lighter-skinned than tawny; tan.
- adjective A dark grey color.
- adjective (nonstandard) Evil, malicious.
- adjective (nonstandard) Weathered, rough.
- noun A swarthy person.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Alteration of obsolete swarty, from swart + -y, from Old English sweart (“black”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Being of a dark hue or dusky complexion; tawny; swart; as, swarthy faces. "A swarthy Ethiope." Shak.
- verb To make swarthy. [Obs.] Cowley.
Etymology [See Swart, a.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “swarthy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details