in the dark

English

Pronunciation

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Prepositional phrase

in the dark

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: Without light; somewhere that is dark.

   I tripped over his suitcase in the dark.

2. (idiomatic) Without information.

   Management kept the board of directors completely in the dark.

   They remained in the dark until the newspaper story came out.

   • 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

     You must remember, Mr Atherton, that I am wholly in the dark as to what has happened.

   • 1983, James C. H. Shen, “Beginnings of Endings”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally‎^[1], Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 18:

     Until two or three days before Carter's December 15 announcement, the State Department spokesman was still saying that no decisions had been reached on the timing and the modality for normalization of relations with Peking. Meanwhile, the administration had been keeping Congress, including its leadership, completely in the dark. Then, taking advantage of the Christmas holidays, during which no one was watching on Capitol Hill, Carter sprang his surprise.

3. (poker slang) Without looking at one's hole cards, thus not knowing what they are.

Synonyms

• out of the loop
• out of touch

Antonyms

• in the know
• in the loop

Translations

without light

• Catalan: a les fosques (ca)
• German: im Dunkeln
• Italian: all'oscuro, nel buio
• Polish: po ciemku (pl)

without information

• Catalan: a les fosques (ca)
• German: im Dunkeln
• Italian: all'oscuro
• Portuguese: no escuro
• Spanish: en la inopia, en mantillas (colloquial; usu. preceded by dejar)

without looking at one's hole cards