swarthy

American  

[swawr-thee, -thee] / ˈswɔr ði, -θi /

adjective

swarthier, swarthiest

1. (of skin color, complexion, etc.) dark.

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swarthy British  

/ ˈswɔːðɪ /

adjective

1. dark-hued or dark-complexioned

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Other Word Forms

• swarthily adverb
• swarthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of swarthy

First recorded in 1570–80; unexplained variant of obsolete swarty ( swart + -y ¹ )

Example Sentences

Mexicans became useful villains, historians say: swarthy, dangerous antagonists to fairer heroines or heroes, through a range of negative stereotyping.

From Los Angeles Times

Beethoven had been nicknamed the Spaniard for his swarthy complexion, and engravings of the two men show a marked resemblance.

From New York Times

Lovecraft, in whose stories evil is embodied as swarthy and foreign.

From Washington Post

This sweeping account draws parallels between Benjamin Franklin’s worry over “swarthy” Germans “herding together” in the eighteenth century and Donald Trump’s race-baiting today.

From The New Yorker

The safe is in Secret Police HQ, under the swarthily personal protection of the EEPR’s Security Chief, Vargas.

From The New Yorker