benighted

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Overtaken by night

   Overtaken by night; especially of a traveller, etc.: caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination.

   • The Moon (that roves like thee) ſhou'd fail, / The Stars benighted prove, / The Sun (that burns like me) ſhou'd ceaſe / To ſhine, ere thou to love?
   • Where art thou, poor benighted Traveller! / The Stars will light thee; tho' the Moon ſhould fail. / Where art Thou, more benighted! more aſtray! / In Ways immoral? The Stars call thee back; / And, if obey'd their Counſel, ſet thee right.
2. 2

   Plunged into darkness.

   • Rob the Spheare of lines vnited, / Make a ſuddaine voide in nature: / Force the day to be benighted, / Reaue the cauſe of time and creature.
   • Still we wait for thine Appearing, / Life and Joy thy Beams impart, / Chaſing all our Fears, and chearing / Ev'ry poor benighted Heart: [...]
3. 3

   Lacking education or knowledge

   Lacking education or knowledge; unenlightened; also, lacking morality; immoral, unscrupulous.

   • Where art thou, poor benighted Traveller! / The Stars will light thee; tho' the Moon ſhould fail. / Where art Thou, more benighted! more aſtray! / In Ways immoral? The Stars call thee back; / And, if obey'd their Counſel, ſet thee right.
   • A radiant morn of light and happineſs then dawned upon this benighted land, yielding the joyous earneſt of a future reſplendent day.
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   1. 4

      Difficult to understand

      Difficult to understand; abstruse, obscure.

      • [O]thers, held very good men, are at a dead ſtand, not knovving vvhat to doe or ſay; and are therefore called Seekers, looking for nevv Nuntio's from Chriſt, to aſſoil theſe benighted queſtions, and to give nevv Orders for nevv Churches.
   2. 5

      simple past and past participle of benight

The neighborhood