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WesternAmerican Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

''Pitch-dark''. What doe it mean?

I'm currently reading 'Along Came A Spider', a book by James Patterson.
He has started his first chapter by writing ''it was pitch-dark...the ground was soggy and muddy''.
Soggy=full of moisture
Muddy=full of mud

But what does pitch dark actually mean?
  

Top answer

Pitch dark = as dark as pitch (a black sticky petroleum product used in construction) = very dark.

— Mister Micawber

  • Pitch dark = as dark as pitch (a black sticky petroleum product used in construction) = very dark.
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11 Answers
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Pitch dark = as dark as pitch (a black sticky petroleum product used in construction) = very dark.
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Hello WesternAmerican and Mister Micawber:),

Would it be possible if you use "pitch-dark" in a description?

- That girl has a pitch-dark hair.

It would emphasize her black hair, wouldn't it?

Thanks in advance!
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To me, the usual expression is "pitch black".

It is usually used to describe a situation in which there isn't the slightest bit of light or illumination -- absolute darkness.
I would say you could also say that someone's hair is pitch-black.
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Thanks for your answer, Yankee!:)

What about someone's skin? Would it be offensive?
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It means as black as black can be - not many people are that black.

I wuld avoid it with reference to someone's skin colour as you might cause offense.
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Okay, thanks for your answer, Nona!:)
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Is it a noun or an adjective?
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Pitch-black is an adjective.
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That's an adjective, too.
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