cimmerian en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /sɪˈmɪ(ə)ɹ.i.ən/ (General-American)
- /sɪˈmɪə.ɹi.ən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- sĭ-mîr′ē-ən
Etymology
From Cimmerian.
Meanings
-
(formal, literally, literary, poetic) Perpetually dark or gloomy.
1894, Ivan Dexter, Talmud: A Strange Narrative of Central Australia, published in serial form in Port Adelaide News and Lefevre's Peninsula Advertiser (SA), Chapter VI, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks16/1600641.txt The glimpse of blue vault far above only heightened the cimmerian gloom of the canyon, and the frowning rocks, which rose abruptly gave one the impression that they were on the point of crashing into the ravine.
...the darkness of antiquated barbarism, in which he buries himself like a mole, to throw up the barren hillocks of his Cimmerian labours.
1820, Thomas Love Peacock, The Four Ages of Poetry:As ragged as thy locks, In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.
1740, George Frideric Handel, Charles Jennens, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato:There, under ebon shades... in dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.
1631, Milton, L'Allegro:
-
(figuratively, formal) Mentally dark; ignorant; benighted.
The source of man’s unhappiness is his ignorance of Nature.... To remove this Cimmerian darkness... requires the clue of Ariadne.
1770, Baron D'Holbach, The System of Nature:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most cimmerian | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more cimmerian | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (1)
de kimmerisch (perpetually dark or gloomy)