disilluminate

Etymology

From dis- + illuminate.

disilluminate means to destroy the light of; to darken. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “disilluminate” is a great word

DISILLUMINATE — [Verb] To destroy or extinguish the light of; to darken. From the English prefix dis- (expressing reversal or deprivation) + illuminate (to light up). First attested in 1865. Unlike "obscure," which muddies clarity, or "extinguish," which snuffs a flame, to disilluminate is the deliberate, active negation of illumination itself. It is the turning of the final switch in a long-abandoned factory, the calculated snuffing of a lighthouse beacon, or the moment a profound disappointment snuffs out the hopeful light behind someone's eyes—a quiet, culpable victory of shadow over source.

verb

To destroy the light of; to darken.