swarthy means tawny, dusky, dark. It carries an Arena rating of 1433, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, swarthy ranks #944 of 17,115 for Most Vivid Words, #1,174 of 17,118 for Scariest Words, #3,491 of 17,122 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #3,931 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words.
swarthy is pronounced /ˈswɔɹði/.
Why “swarthy” is a great word
Having a dark, dusky, or tawny complexion. From the obsolete swarty, from swart (Old English sweart, meaning 'black') and the adjectival suffix -y. Unlike fair, which denotes a light or pale complexion, or tawny, which suggests a warm, golden-brown hue, swarthy implies a deeper, duskier, and often olive-toned darkness. It is the shadowed bronze of a sailor's sun-baked neck, the rich umber of weathered leather, the deep grain of aged cedar; a word for the earth's own indelible stain upon the skin.
Etymology
Alteration of obsolete swarty, from swart + -y, from Old English sweart (“black”).
adj
- Tawny, dusky, dark.
- Dark-skinned; black.e.g.“Their swarthy Hosts wou'd darken all our Plains, / Doubling the native Horror of the War, / And making Death more grim.”
- Darker-skinned than white, but lighter-skinned than tawny; tan.
- A dark grey color.
- Evil, malicious.
- Weathered, rough.e.g.“Mason: "Okay, how do I look, really?"
Betty: "…'Swarthy.'"
Mason: "Well, is that good?"
Betty: "Depends if you like 'swarthy.'"
Mason: "Do you like 'swarthy'?"
Betty: "Not particularly."”
Words closest in meaning
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