swarthy
Americanadjective
adjective
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"You miss Russell Crowe, but Mescal is always watchable, with a stocky, swarthy, brooding presence," he added in the four-star review.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024
Snow, the King in the North, was the perfect swarthy counterpart in his dark leather and furs.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2019
“Belushi’s looks are ideal for the role: at once swarthy and cherubic, he suggests a baby sunk in dissipation.”
From Washington Post • Jul. 25, 2018
His hair was black; his eyes were black; his complexion was swarthy.
From The New Yorker • Oct. 3, 2016
Finally, a swarthy man with thick black hair and a flat cap on his head stopped, got out of his taxi, and helped us load our stuff.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
