as in ignorant
lacking in education or the knowledge gained from books
the poor benighted souls who do not know the joys of reading
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Recent Examples of benighted
With hundreds of years of patient work behind it, with some educational institutions willing to protect their scientists, and with researchers hard at work in less-benighted nations, the human desire to know and to understand will continue to produce results.
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Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Like the original Outlander, Blood of My Blood is believably frank about the possibility of assault in the benighted past.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
Trump has talked up the idea of moving the Palestinians out of Gaza, even suggesting transforming one of the most benighted places on earth into some kind of coastal resort.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
Antony and Cleopatra’s benighted love story plays out against the surge of Roman power, and Caesar, sung with biting clarity by Paul Appleby, comes off as a modern Duce.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for benighted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benighted
ignorant
Adjective
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On its face, the government's defense appears to be that the individuals behind these statements are ignorant or incompetent, or both.—
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The citizens of Oz are treated as no more than an undifferentiated crowd of extras, an ignorant and finally disposable monolith.—
Cite this Entry
“Benighted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benighted. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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