Black is a color that’s used in many special sayings called idioms. These idioms for black don’t always talk about the color itself, but use ‘black’ to describe different things or feelings. They’re like little word mysteries. For example, ‘black sheep’ doesn’t mean a sheep that is black, but someone who is very different from the rest of their group. These idioms make our language more interesting and colorful, even when they talk about black! They’re like different shades in a painting, each showing a unique side of life. Learning these idioms is like exploring a gallery, where each phrase has its own special meaning.
Idioms About Black
Idioms that include the word “black” often carry a variety of meanings, not necessarily related to the color itself. Here are some idioms that use the word “black” along with their meanings and examples:
Black belt
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- Meaning: Expert (martial arts)
- Example: “She’s a black belt in karate.”
Black eye
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- Meaning: Mark of shame
- Example: “The scandal gave the company a black eye.”
Fade to black
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- Meaning: End, conclude
- Example: “The movie faded to black.”
In the black
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- Meaning: Financially solvent
- Example: “After a successful year, the company is in the black.”
Black hat
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- Meaning: Malicious hacker
- Example: “He was known as a black hat in the cyber world.”
Black-hearted
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- Meaning: Wicked, evil
- Example: “The villain in the story was black-hearted.”
Black coffee
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- Meaning: Coffee without milk
- Example: “He always drinks black coffee.”
Blacklist
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- Meaning: Ban, prohibit
- Example: “He was blacklisted in the industry.”
Black mark
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- Meaning: Negative record
- Example: “That mistake was a black mark on his record.”
Black market
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- Meaning: Illegal trade
- Example: “Those goods were bought on the black market.”
Black tie
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- Meaning: Formal dress code
- Example: “It’s a black tie event at the hotel.”
Not as black as one is painted
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- Meaning: Not so bad
- Example: “He’s not as black as he is painted.”
Blackball
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- Meaning: Exclude, ban
- Example: “He was blackballed from the club.”
Black letter day
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- Meaning: Day of disaster
- Example: “It was a black letter day for the company.”
Black box
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- Meaning: Flight recorder
- Example: “The investigators recovered the black box from the crash.”
Black comedy
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- Meaning: Dark humor
- Example: “He enjoys films that are black comedies.”
Black and white
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- Meaning: Clear-cut
- Example: “The rules are black and white.”
Black flag
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- Meaning: Signal of danger
- Example: “The black flag at the beach meant swimming was dangerous.”
Paint it black
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- Meaning: Make it depressing
- Example: “His news really painted the day black.”
Pitch black
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- Meaning: Extremely dark
- Example: “The basement was pitch black.”
Black as night
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- Meaning: Very dark
- Example: “The room was as black as night.”
Black mood
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- Meaning: Bad temper
- Example: “He’s in a black mood today.”
Black and blue
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- Meaning: Bruised
- Example: “He was left black and blue after the fall.”
Blackmail
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- Meaning: Extortion
- Example: “He was found guilty of blackmail.”
Black humor
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- Meaning: Morbid humor
- Example: “His writing is full of black humor.”
Black out
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- Meaning: Lose consciousness
- Example: “He blacked out during the marathon.”
Black ice
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- Meaning: Transparent ice on roads
- Example: “The road was covered with black ice.”
Black magic
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- Meaning: Supernatural practices
- Example: “Some believe that black magic was involved.”
Black sheep
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- Meaning: Odd member
- Example: “He’s the black sheep of the family.”
Blackout curtains
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- Meaning: Light-blocking curtains
- Example: “She installed blackout curtains in her bedroom.”
These idioms demonstrate how the color black is used metaphorically in various contexts, often symbolizing exclusion, clarity, illegality, or formality.
