Benighted

Definitions: Benighted

Benighted

Adjective

1. Overtaken by night or darkness; "benighted (or nighted) travelers hurrying toward home".

2. Lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture; "this benighted country"; "benighted ages of barbarism and superstition"; "the dark ages"; "a dark age in the history of education".

Date "benighted" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1532. (references)

Synonyms: Benighted

Synonyms: dark (adj), nighted (adj). (additional references)

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Ignorance	In the dark; benighted, belated; blinded, blindfolded; hoodwinked; misinformed; au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault; at sea; (uncertain); caught tripping.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Crosswords: Benighted

English words defined with "benighted": benight, Benightment ♦ dark. (references)

Specialty definitions using "benighted": HEATHEN ♦ Play the Deuce. (references)

Etymologies containing "benighted": benight. (references)

Domain	Title
Books	King of the Benighted (reference) The true and barbaric history of the Benighted States of America (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	The witch hunters of the Puritan days, or, Same benighted spirit with us yet, or, The "heresy-hunters" of today.Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Author	Quotation
John Milton	But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself is his own dungeon.
Thomas Hood	But who would rush at a benighted man, and give him two black eyes for being blind?
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Lexicography	Devil's Dictionary	HEATHEN, n. A benighted creature who has the folly to worship something that he can see and feel. According to Professor Howison, of the California State University, Hebrews are heathens. "The Hebrews are heathens!" says Howison. He's A Christian philosopher. I'm A scurril agnostical chap, if you please, Addicted too much to the crime Of religious discussion in my rhyme. Though Hebrew and Howison cannot agree On a modus vivendi -- not they! -- Yet Heaven has had the designing of me, And I haven't been reared in a way To joy in the thick of the fray. For this of my creed is the soul and the gist, And the truth of it I aver: Who differs from me in his faith is an 'ist, And 'ite, an 'ie, or an 'er -- And I'm down upon him or her! Let Howison urge with perfunctory chin Toleration -- that's all very well, But a roast is "nuts" to his nostril thin, And he's running -- I know by the smell -- A secret and personal Hell! Bissell Gip
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

"Benighted" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 87.50% of the time. "Benighted" is used about 48 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Adjective (general or positive)	87.5%	42	52,864
Lexical Verb (past participle)	8.33%	4	175,879
Lexical Verb (past tense)	2.08%	1	339,140
Noun (proper)	2.08%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	48	N/A

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Language		Translations for "benighted"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		i zhytur në errësirë. (various references)

Arabic		‏جاهل (artless, blockhead, ignorant, illiterate, innocent, nescient, primitive, raw, rude, simple, unaware, unlettered, untaught), ‏أدركه الليل, ‏داهمه الليل. (various references)

Bulgarian		тънещ в невежество, необразован (ignorant, illiterate, letterless, unaccomplished, uncultivated, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unread, unschooled, untaught, untutored), замръкнал. (various references)

Czech		opozdilý. (various references)

French		surpris par la nuit, plongé dans l'ignorance, aveugle. (various references)

German		unbedarft (brainless, clueless, cluelessly, lowbrow, simple minded, undiscerning), hirnrissig (hare-brained), gottverlassen (godforsaken). (various references)

Greek		βυθισμένοσ στην αμάθεια, νυχτώμενοσ, αμαθήσ (ignoramus, ignorant, unlearned). (various references)

Hungarian		tudatlanságban lévő, akire ráesteledett. (various references)

Indonesian		kemalaman. (various references)

Italian		ottenebrato. (various references)

Manx		almoragh (clueless, ignorant, unconversant, uncultured, uninformed). (various references)

Pig Latin		enightedbay

Portuguese		surpreendido pela noite, ignorante (abecedarian, aberrance, artless, dunderhead, heathen, ignoramus, ignorant, knuckle, letterless, Ness, unacquainted, unaware, unconscious, uneducated, unenlightened, uninformed, unintelligent, unlearned, unlettered, unnurtured, unposted, unschooled, untaught, untutored, unversed). (various references)

Romanian		prins de noapte pe drum, ignorant (cipher, dark, dunce, ignoramus, ignorant, illiterate, inexpert, innocent, know-nothing, nescient, rude, unknowing, unlearned), întârziat (back, backward, be late, behind time, behindhand, belated, lagging, late, outstanding, overdue, slow witted, tardy). (various references)

Russian		застигнутый ночью. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		zaostao (backward, backwater, behindhand, dilatory, retarded, stagnant), neprosvećen (unenlightened, uninformed), koga je zatekla noć. (various references)

Spanish		ignorante (abecedarian, brainless, dark, ignoramus, ignorant, incognizant, know-nothing, nescient, uninformed), anochecido (dusk). (various references)

Swedish		höljt i dunkel. (various references)

Thai		ซึ่งปราศจากความเข้าใจ. (various references)

Turkish		bilgisiz (ignorant, illiterate, nescient, unilluminated, uninformed, unknowing, unlearned, unscholarly), karanlıkta kalmış, kara cahil (ignoramus, illiterate, utterly ignorant), cahil (ignoramus, ignorant, illiterate, nescient, rude, uneducated, unenlightened, unilluminated, uninformed, unknowing, unlearned, unlettered, unread, untutored, yahoo). (various references)

Ukranian		відсталий (back, backward, behindhand, retarded, stick in the mud, straggling, straggly, upstage), застигнутий темрявою. (various references)

Welsh		tywyll (abstruse, blind, dark, obscure). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "benighted": benightedly, benightedness, benightednesses. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Benighted" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: beingthe, beknighted, belighted, beneteau, benited, resighted. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "benighted" (pronounced bunī"tud)
5	-n ī" t u d	ignited, knighted, reignited, reunited, United.
4	-ī" t u d	blighted, cited, delighted, disinvited, excited, incited, indicted, indited, invited, lighted, overexcited, recited, reinvited, righted, shortsighted, sighted, sited, slighted, unindicted, uninvited, unrequited, whited.
3	-t u d	abated, abbreviated, abdicated, abducted, abetted, aborted, abrogated, abstracted, abutted, accelerated, accented, accentuated, accepted, acclimated, accommodated, accosted, accounted, accredited, accumulated, acquainted, acquitted, acted, activated, adapted, addicted, adjudicated, adjusted, admitted, adopted, adulterated, advocated, affected, affiliated, afflicted, affronted, aggravated, aggregated, agitated, airlifted, alerted, alienated, alleviated, allocated, allotted, alternated, amalgamated, ameliorated, amounted, amputated, angulated, animated, annihilated, annotated, anted, anticipated, antiquated, appointed, appreciated, appropriated, approximated, arbitrated, arrested, articulated, aspirated, assassinated, assaulted, asserted, assimilated, assisted, associated, assorted, attempted, attenuated, attested, attracted, attributed, audited, augmented, authenticated, automated, averted, awaited, backdated, baited, bankrupted, bated, batted, belated, belted, benefited, benefitted, berated, bested, bifurcated, bigoted, blacklisted, blanketed, blasted, bloated, blunted, blurted, boasted, boated, bolted, boosted, booted, boycotted, breasted, budgeted, busted, caffeinated, calculated, calibrated, capitulated, captivated, carbonated, carbureted, carotid, carpeted, carted, castigated, castrated, catapulted, celebrated, cemented, chanted, charted, chatted, cheated, chested, chlorinated, circuited, circulated, circumvented, closeted, clotted, coasted, coated, coexisted, collaborated, collected, comforted, commemorated, commented, committed, communicated, commuted, compacted, compensated, competed, complemented, completed, complicated, complimented, computed, conceited, concentrated, concerted, concocted, conducted, confiscated, conflicted, confronted, congested, congratulated, congregated, conjugated, connected, conscripted, consecrated, consented, consisted, consolidated, constipated, constituted, constricted, constructed, consulted, consummated, contacted, contaminated, contemplated, contented, contested, contorted, contracted, contradicted, contrasted, contributed, converted, convicted, convoluted, cooperated, coordinated, copyrighted, corrected, correlated, corroborated, corrugated, corrupted, costed, counted, counteracted, counterfeited, courted, coveted, crafted, created, credited, cremated, crenelated, crested, crusted, culminated, cultivated, darted, dated, daunted, deactivated, debated, debilitated, decaffeinated, decapitated, decelerated, decimated, decontaminated, decorated, dedicated, deducted, defaulted, defeated, defected, deflated, deflected, degenerated, dehydrated, dejected, delegated, deleted, deliberated, delineated, delisted, demented, demonstrated, demoted, denigrated, denominated, denoted, dented, departed, depicted, depleted, deported, deposited, depreciated, deregulated, desecrated, desegregated, deserted, designated, destructed, detected, deteriorated, detested, detonated, detracted, devaluated, devastated, deviated, devoted, dictated, differentiated, digested, dilapidated, dilated, diluted, directed, disaffected, disappointed, disassociated, disconnected, discontented, discounted, discredited, discriminated, disenchanted, disgusted, disintegrated, disinterested, disjointed, dislocated, disoriented, dispirited, disputed, disrespected, disrupted, dissected, disseminated, dissented, dissipated, distorted, distracted, distributed, distrusted, diverted, divested, documented, domesticated, dominated, donated, dotted, doubted, drafted, drifted, duplicated, dusted, edited, educated, effected, ejected, elaborated, elated, elected, electrocuted, elevated, elicited, eliminated, elongated, elucidated, emaciated, emanated, emancipated, emasculated, emigrated, emitted, emulated, enacted, encapsulated, enchanted, encrusted, encrypted, enlisted, entrusted, enumerated, enunciated, equated, eradicated, erected, erupted, escalated, escorted, estimated, evacuated, evaluated, evaporated, evicted, eviscerated, exacerbated, exacted, exaggerated, exalted, exasperated, excavated, excepted, excerpted, excommunicated, excoriated, executed, exempted, exerted, exhausted, exhibited, exhilarated, exhorted, existed, exited, exonerated, expected, expedited, experimented, exploited, exported, expropriated, exterminated, extorted, extracted, extradited, extrapolated, extricated, extroverted, exulted, fabricated, faceted, facilitated, fainted, fainthearted, farsighted, fascinated, fasted, fated, faulted, feasted, federated, fermented, ferreted, feted, fetid, filleted, fingerprinted, fisted, fitted, fixated, flabbergasted, flagellated, flaunted, flirted, floated, flouted, fluctuated, foisted, fomented, footed, footnoted, forecasted, forested, forfeited, formulated, fragmented, frequented, fretted, fronted, frosted, frustrated, gated, generated, germinated, gifted, glaciated, gloated, glutted, graduated, grafted, granted, grated, gravitated, greeted, grunted, guested, gusted, gutted, gyrated, halfhearted, hallucinated, halogenated, halted, handcrafted, harvested, hated, hearted, heated, helmeted, hesitated, highlighted, hinted, hoisted, hooted, hosted, humiliated, hunted, hydrated, hydrogenated, hyphenated, illuminated, illustrated, imitated, immigrated, impacted, imparted, impersonated, implanted, implemented, implicated, imported, impregnated, imprinted, imputed, inactivated, inaugurated, incapacitated, incarcerated, incinerated, incorporated, inculcated, indebted, indicated, indoctrinated, inducted, infatuated, infected, infested, infiltrated, inflated, inflected, inflicted, infuriated, ingested, inhabited, inherited, inhibited, initiated, injected, innovated, inoculated, inserted, insinuated, insisted, inspected, instigated, instituted, instructed, insulated, insulted, integrated, interacted, intercepted, interconnected, interdicted, interested, interjected, interpolated, interpreted, interrelated, interrogated, interrupted, intersected, intimated, intimidated, intoxicated, introverted, inundated, invalidated, invented, inverted, invested, investigated, invigorated, irradiated, irrigated, irritated, isolated, jacketed, jetted, jilted, jointed, jolted, jotted, knitted, knotted, lambasted, lamented, laminated, lasted, legislated, levitated, liberated, lifted, lighthearted, limited, liquidated, listed, litigated, located, looted, lubricated, lusted, maladjusted, malted, maltreated, mandated, manifested, manipulated, marinated, marketed, masted, masturbated, mated, mediated, medicated, melted, merited, meted, migrated, minted, misallocated, misappropriated, miscalculated, misdirected, misinterpreted, misquoted, misreported, misrepresented, misstated, mistreated, mistrusted, mitigated, moderated, modulated, molested, motivated, mounted, multifaceted, mutated, muted, mutilated, narrated, nauseated, navigated, nearsighted, necessitated, negated, neglected, negotiated, nested, netted, nominated, nonregulated, noted, objected, obligated, obliterated, obstructed, officiated, omitted, operated, opinionated, opted, orbited, orchestrated, orientated, oriented, originated, ornamented, ousted, outdated, outed, outfitted, outlasted, outvoted, overacted, overestimated, overheated, overpopulated, overrated, overreacted, overregulated, overrepresented, overstated, overweighted, oxygenated, painted, panted, parachuted, parted, participated, pasted, patented, patted, pelleted, pelted, penetrated, perfected, perforated, permeated, permitted, perpetrated, perpetuated, persecuted, persisted, perverted, petted, picketed, piloted, pinpointed, pirated, pitted, pivoted, planted, plated, plotted, plummeted, pocketed, pointed, pollinated, polluted, pontificated, populated, ported, posited, posted, potted, pouted, precipitated, predated, predicated, predicted, predominated, preempted, preexisted, prefabricated, premeditated, presented, prevented, printed, profited, prognosticated, prohibited, projected, proliferated, promoted, prompted, promulgated, propagated, prorated, prosecuted, protected, protested, protracted, punctuated, purported, putted, quieted, quilted, quoted, radiated, rafted, ranted, ratcheted, rated, reacted, reactivated, readjusted, readmitted, reallocated, reappointed, rearrested, reasserted, rebated, rebutted, recalculated, recanted, reciprocated, recollected, reconnected, reconstituted, reconstructed, recounted, recreated, recruited, redacted, redecorated, redirected, redistributed, redrafted, reelected, reenacted, reevaluated, refitted, reflected, reformulated, refrigerated, refuted, regenerated, regimented, regretted, regulated, rehabilitated, reincarnated, reinstated, reinstituted, reintegrated, reinterpreted, reinvented, reinvested, reinvigorated, reiterated, rejected, rejuvenated, related, relegated, relented, relocated, remarketed, remitted, renegotiated, renominated, renovated, rented, repainted, repatriated, repeated, repented, replanted, replicated, reported, represented, reprinted, repudiated, reputed, requested, rerouted, resented, resisted, resonated, resorted, respected, restarted, restated, rested, restricted, resubmitted, resulted, resurrected, resuscitated, retaliated, retested, retorted, retracted, retreated, retrofitted, reverberated, reverted, revisited, revolted, rioted, riveted, roasted, rocketed, roosted, rooted, rotated, rotted, ruminated, rusted, rutted, sainted, salivated, salted, saluted, sandblasted, sated, saturated, scapegoated, scented, scouted, scripted, sculpted, seated, secreted, sedated, segmented, segregated, selected, separated, serrated, shafted, shifted, shorted, shouted, shunted, sifted, silhouetted, simulated, situated, skated, skirted, skyrocketed, slanted, slated, slotted, snorted, solicited, sophisticated, sorted, speculated, spirited, sported, spotlighted, spotted, spouted, sprinted, sprouted, spurted, squirted, stagnated, stalemated, started, stated, stilted, stimulated, stipulated, stunted, subcontracted, subjected, subjugated, submitted, subordinated, substantiated, substituted, subtracted, subverted, suffocated, suggested, suited, superheated, supplanted, supplemented, supported, surmounted, suspected, swatted, sweated, syncopated, syndicated, tabulated, tainted, talented, targeted, tasted, taunted, tempted, terminated, tested, throated, thwarted, ticketed, tightfisted, tilted, tinted, titillated, toasted, tolerated, tormented, toted, touted, transacted, transected, translated, transmitted, transplanted, transported, treated, trotted, trumpeted, truncated, trusted, tufted, twisted, unabated, unaccounted, unaccredited, unadjusted, unadulterated, unaffected, unaffiliated, unallocated, unanticipated, unappreciated, unassisted, unaudited, unbolted, uncharted, uncoated, uncollected, uncommitted, uncompensated, uncompleted, uncomplicated, unconnected, unconsolidated, uncontaminated, uncontested, uncontradicted, unconverted, uncoordinated, uncorrected, uncorroborated, uncounted, undated, undaunted, undefeated, undercounted, underestimated, underrated, underreported, underrepresented, understated, undetected, undifferentiated, undiluted, undisputed, undistributed, undocumented, undoubted, unedited, uneducated, unelected, unexpected, unexploited, unincorporated, uninfected, uninhabited, uninhibited, uninitiated, uninterested, uninterrupted, unlimited, unlisted, unmitigated, unmolested, unobstructed, unpainted, unprecedented, unprotected, unrated, unreconstructed, unregulated, unrelated, unreported, unrepresented, unrestricted, unsaturated, unscripted, unseated, unsolicited, unsophisticated, unstated, unsubstantiated, unsuited, unsupported, unsuspected, untainted, untested, untreated, unwanted, unwarranted, updated, uplifted, uprooted, vacated, vaccinated, vacillated, validated, vatted, vaulted, vaunted, venerated, vented, ventilated, vested, vetted, vindicated, violated, visited, voted, wafted, waited, wanted, warranted, wasted, weighted, whetted, wholehearted, wilted, witted, worsted, wrested.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "b-d-e-e-g-h-i-n-t"
	-2 letters: bedight, beignet, bighted, heeding, neighed.
	-3 letters: behind, betide, binged, endite, henbit, hented, hinged, hinted, nidget, nighed, teeing, theine, tinged.
	-4 letters: beget, begin, beige, being, bidet, bight, binge, debit, deign, diene, dight, dinge, eight, genet, genie, gibed, hedge, hinge, neigh, night, teind, tenge, thebe, thegn, thein, thine, thing, tined, tinge.
	-5 letters: been, beet, bend, bene.
	Words containing the letters "b-d-e-e-g-h-i-n-t"
	+1 letter: beknighted, brightened.
	+2 letters: benightedly.
	+4 letters: benightedness.
	+5 letters: bigheartedness, featherbedding.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.