benighted
/bɪˈnaɪtɪd/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.18 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Overtaken by night; especially of a traveller, etc.: caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination.
Obsolete
adj
Lacking education or knowledge; unenlightened; also, lacking morality; immoral, unscrupulous.
verb
simple past and past participle of benight
Example Sentences
- "The Porter anſwered, This Man is in a Journey from the City of Deſtruction to Mount Zion, but being weary, and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here to night; ſo I told him I would call for thee, who after diſcourſe had with him, mayeſt do as ſeemeth thee good, even according to the Law of the Houſe."
- "The Moon (that roves like thee) ſhou'd fail, / The Stars benighted prove, / The Sun (that burns like me) ſhou'd ceaſe / To ſhine, ere thou to love?"
- "Where art thou, poor benighted Traveller! / The Stars will light thee; tho' the Moon ſhould fail. / Where art Thou, more benighted! more aſtray! / In Ways immoral? The Stars call thee back; / And, if obey'd their Counſel, ſet thee right."
- "Slighting the petty need he showed, / He told of his benighted road; […]"
- "I recollect well losing the goodwill of my old grandmother by allowing a benighted wagoner to light his lantern while her back was turned, […]"
- "To that god-trodden western shore, as flit benighted birds."
Etymology
From benight + -ed.
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /bɪˈnaɪtɪd/
- British English: /bɪˈnaɪtɪd/
Usage
Inflected Forms
more benighted (comparative)
most benighted (superlative)