1.
in the dark; in darkness; in secret
The state of being in darkness, used both literally and figuratively for situations where one cannot see the way ahead. Formed from 暗 (dark) and 中 (within). Largely confined to set expressions and written style.
暗中を手探りで進む。
I grope my way forward in the dark.
解決策が見えず、暗中で迷っているようだ。
With no solution in sight, it feels like wandering in the dark.
新規事業は前例がなく、暗中模索の状態が続いた。
The new business had no precedent, so a state of groping in the dark continued.
A literary, written-style word that rarely stands alone in everyday speech. It appears mainly in fixed four-character expressions.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 暗中模索: groping in the dark; trial and error
- 暗中飛躍: working behind the scenes; secret maneuvering
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 闇: darkness — the everyday word for physical or figurative darkness.
- 暗闇: the dark; pitch darkness — concrete and far more common in conversation.