Ask Difference

Darkness vs. Void — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 9, 2024
Darkness typically refers to the absence or lack of light, resulting in low visibility, while a void denotes a complete emptiness or vacuum, often implying the absence of matter or content.
Darkness vs. Void — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Darkness and Void

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Key Differences

Darkness is primarily characterized by the absence or insufficient presence of light, which makes it difficult to see. It is a common condition experienced during the night or in areas with limited light sources. Whereas, a void refers to an empty space or vacuum where there is a total absence of matter or content. It is often used to describe empty spaces in various contexts, such as outer space or in philosophical discussions about emptiness or absence.
In the context of physics, darkness is not a substance but rather the result of the absence of visible light. Photons, the particles of light, are either absorbed or not present, leading to the perception of darkness. On the other hand, a void can refer to regions in space that are devoid of any particles, including photons, making it a concept that encompasses more than just the absence of light.
Emotionally and symbolically, darkness is often associated with fear, mystery, and the unknown, as humans are naturally afraid of what they cannot see. It can also symbolize sadness or despair. A void, however, might symbolize a deeper sense of emptiness or lack, often representing a void in one's life or soul, suggesting an absence of meaning or fulfillment.
Culturally, darkness and void can have different implications. Darkness is a recurring theme in literature, art, and film, often used to create mood or symbolize evil. In contrast, the concept of the void can be found in philosophical and spiritual texts, where it might represent the concept of nothingness, the absence of desire, or a state of enlightenment in certain Eastern philosophies.

Comparison Chart

Definition

Absence of light
Complete emptiness or vacuum
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Physical Nature

Result of no or low light, not a material substance
An absence of all matter, including air and particles

Symbolism

Often associated with fear, mystery, or sadness
Represents emptiness, lack, or a deeper existential absence

Usage in Physics

Describes conditions of low visibility due to no light
Refers to space devoid of particles, including dark matter

Cultural Impact

Frequently appears in narratives as a mood setter or to symbolize evil
Often discussed in philosophical and spiritual contexts

Compare with Definitions

Darkness

State of being unknown or concealed.
He moved through the darkness of the unknown forest.

Void

State of complete emptiness.
The abandoned house felt like a void, devoid of life.

Darkness

Feeling of gloom or depression.
She felt a sense of darkness enveloping her mood.

Void

Gap or missing part.
His sudden departure left a void in their lives.

Darkness

Symbol of evil or negativity.
The story depicted a battle between light and darkness.

Void

Space devoid of matter, especially in cosmology.
Scientists study voids in space to understand the universe's structure.

Darkness

Absence of light.
The room was engulfed in darkness after the lights went out.

Void

Legal nullification.
The contract was declared void by the court.

Darkness

Period of night or low light.
They decided to camp out in the darkness, under the stars.

Void

Feeling of emptiness or lack.
Despite his success, there was a void in his heart.

Darkness

Darkness, the polar opposite of brightness, is understood as a lack of illumination or an absence of visible light. Human vision is unable to distinguish color in conditions of either high brightness or very low brightness.

Void

Containing no matter; empty.

Darkness

Lacking or having very little light
A dark corner.

Void

Not occupied; unfilled.

Darkness

Lacking brightness
A dark day.

Void

Completely lacking; devoid
Void of understanding.

Darkness

Reflecting only a small fraction of incident light; tending toward black
Dark clothing.

Void

Ineffective; useless.

Darkness

Served without milk or cream
Dark coffee.

Void

Having no legal force or validity; null
A contract rendered void.

Darkness

Being or having a complexion that is not light in color.

Void

(Games) Lacking cards of a particular suit in a dealt hand.

Darkness

Sullen or threatening
A dark scowl.

Void

An empty space.

Darkness

Characterized by gloom or pessimism; dismal or bleak
A dark day for the economy.
Dark predictions of what lies in store.

Void

A vacuum.

Darkness

Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor.

Void

An open space or a break in continuity; a gap.

Darkness

Unknown or concealed; mysterious
A dark secret.
The dark workings of the unconscious.

Void

A feeling or state of emptiness, loneliness, or loss.

Darkness

Lacking enlightenment, knowledge, or culture
A dark age in the history of education.

Void

(Games) Absence of cards of a particular suit in a dealt hand
A void in hearts.

Darkness

Evil in nature or effect; sinister
"churned up dark undercurrents of ethnic and religious hostility" (Peter Maas).

Void

To take out (the contents of something); empty.

Darkness

Morally corrupt; vicious
Dark deeds.
A dark past.

Void

To excrete (body wastes).

Darkness

Having richness or depth
A dark, melancholy vocal tone.

Void

To leave; vacate.

Darkness

Not giving performances; closed
The movie theater is dark on Mondays.

Void

To make void or of no validity; invalidate
Issued a new passport and voided the old one.

Darkness

(Linguistics) Pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum. Used of the sound (l) in words like full.

Void

To excrete body wastes.

Darkness

A place having little or no light.

Void

Nothing; empty; not occupied or filled.

Darkness

Night; nightfall
Home before dark.

Void

Having no incumbent; unoccupied; said of offices etc.

Darkness

A deep hue or color.

Void

Being without; destitute; devoid.

Darkness

Darks Pieces of laundry having a dark color.

Void

Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain.

Darkness

(uncountable) The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light.
The darkness of the room made it difficult to see.

Void

Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification.
Null and void

Darkness

(uncountable) The state or quality of reflecting little light, of tending to a blackish or brownish color.
The darkness of her skin betrayed her Mediterranean heritage.

Void

Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul.

Darkness

(uncountable) Gloom; gloominess; depression.

Void

That does not return a value; a procedure.

Darkness

(countable) The product of being dark.

Void

An empty space; a vacuum.
Nobody has crossed the void since one man died trying three hundred years ago; it's high time we had another go.

Darkness

(uncountable) Lack of understanding or compassion; spiritual or mental blindness.

Void

(astronomy) An extended region of space containing no galaxies.

Darkness

(uncountable) Secrecy; concealment.

Void

(materials science) A collection of adjacent vacancies inside a crystal lattice.

Darkness

(uncountable) Lack of knowledge; obscurity or meaning or intelligibility; the unknown.

Void

(fluid mechanics) A pocket of vapour inside a fluid flow, created by cavitation.

Darkness

(uncountable) Hell.

Void

(construction) An empty space between floors or walls, including false separations and planned gaps between a building and its facade.

Darkness

The absence of light; blackness; obscurity; gloom.
And darkness was upon the face of the deep.

Void

A black cat.
My little void is so sweet sometimes.

Darkness

A state of privacy; secrecy.
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light.

Void

An empty place; A location that has nothing useful.

Darkness

A state of ignorance or error, especially on moral or religious subjects; hence, wickedness; impurity.
Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Pursue these sons of darkness: drive them outFrom all heaven's bounds.

Void

A voidee.

Darkness

Want of clearness or perspicuity; obscurity; as, the darkness of a subject, or of a discussion.

Void

(transitive) To make invalid or worthless.
He voided the check and returned it.

Darkness

A state of distress or trouble.
A day of clouds and of thick darkness.

Void

To empty.
Void one’s bowels

Darkness

An unilluminated area;
He moved off into the darkness

Void

To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge.
To void excrement

Darkness

Absence of moral or spiritual values;
The powers of darkness

Void

To withdraw, depart.

Darkness

An unenlightened state;
He was in the dark concerning their intentions
His lectures dispelled the darkness

Void

To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave.
To void a table

Darkness

Having a dark or somber color

Void

Containing nothing; empty; vacant; not occupied; not filled.
The earth was without form, and void.
I 'll get me to a place more void.
I 'll chain him in my study, that, at void hours,I may run over the story of his country.

Darkness

A swarthy complexion

Void

Having no incumbent; unoccupied; - said of offices and the like.
Divers great offices that had been long void.

Void

Being without; destitute; free; wanting; devoid; as, void of learning, or of common use.
A conscience void of offense toward God.
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor.

Void

Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain.
[My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.
I will make void the counsel of Judah.

Void

Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul.

Void

Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification; null. Cf. Voidable, 2.

Void

An empty space; a vacuum.
Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defense,And fills up all the mighty void of sense.

Void

To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave; as, to void a table.
Void anon her place.
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,Or void the field.

Void

To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge; as, to void excrements.
A watchful application of mind in voiding prejudices.
With shovel, like a fury, voided outThe earth and scattered bones.

Void

To render void; to make to be of no validity or effect; to vacate; to annul; to nullify.
After they had voided the obligation of the oath he had taken.
It was become a practice . . . to void the security that was at any time given for money so borrowed.

Void

To be emitted or evacuated.

Void

The state of nonexistence

Void

An empty area or space;
The huge desert voids
The emptiness of outer space
Without their support he'll be ruling in a vacuum

Void

Declare invalid;
The contract was annulled
Void a plea

Void

Clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place, receptacle, etc.) of something;
The chemist voided the glass bottle
The concert hall was voided of the audience

Void

Take away the legal force of or render ineffective;
Invalidateas a contract

Void

Excrete or discharge from the body

Void

Lacking any legal or binding force;
Null and void

Void

Containing nothing;
The earth was without form, and void

Common Curiosities

What causes darkness?

Darkness is caused by the absence of sufficient light to enable human vision.

Can darkness exist on its own?

Darkness does not exist as a physical entity; it's simply the absence of light.

What does a void represent in physics?

In physics, a void refers to a space entirely devoid of matter, including particles like atoms and photons.

Is it correct to say 'into the void' to mean going into darkness?

"Into the void" implies entering an empty space or unknown rather than just darkness.

Can void be used metaphorically?

Yes, void is often used metaphorically to describe feelings of emptiness or lack in one's life.

Is darkness always negative?

Not always; it can also provide rest and is essential for certain ecological processes.

Is darkness always associated with night?

While commonly experienced at night, darkness can occur in any situation with insufficient light.

How do darkness and void differ in symbolism?

Darkness often symbolizes fear or the unknown, whereas a void can represent a deeper existential emptiness.

Can a void exist on Earth?

Perfect voids are nearly impossible on Earth due to atmospheric pressure, but vacuum chambers can simulate void-like conditions.

Do darkness and void have different emotional impacts?

Yes, darkness can evoke fear or mystery, while a void might evoke feelings of emptiness or profound lack.

How do darkness and void relate to fear?

Both can evoke fear; darkness due to the fear of the unseen, and void due to the fear of emptiness or non-existence.

Is the concept of the void unique to space?

While often associated with outer space, the concept of the void is also prevalent in philosophy and spirituality.

Can darkness or void have positive meanings?

Yes, in some contexts, darkness can signify rest or protection, and the void can symbolize potential or the beginning of creation.

Do all cultures view darkness the same way?

Cultural perceptions of darkness vary, with some seeing it as restful or sacred, and others as ominous.

Can a void be filled?

Conceptually, yes; filling a void often refers to addressing a gap or lack in one's life.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

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