benight

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English benyghten, binighten, bynyȝten, equivalent to be- +‎ night.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Verb

[edit]

benight (third-person singular simple present benights, present participle benighting, simple past and past participle benighted) (archaic, transitive)

  1. (chiefly in passive) To overtake (a traveller etc) with the darkness of night, especially before shelter is reached.
  2. To darken; to shroud or obscure.
  3. To plunge or be overwhelmed in moral or intellectual darkness.
    • 1819, Reginald Heber, The Missionary Hymn[1]:
      Can we whose souls are lighted
      With Wisdom from on high,
      Can we to men benighted
      The lamp of life deny?

Derived terms

[edit]

Translations

[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

[edit]
  • OED 2nd edition 1989