幽ゆう暗あん

ゆ

う

あ

ん

Meanings

Literary word for deep, quiet darkness or a secluded, shadowy place. Often carries a poetic or classical tone. Rare in everyday speech; more common synonyms are 暗闇 (くらやみ) or 闇 (やみ).

森もりの奥おく深ふかく、幽ゆう暗あんな場ば所しょに古ふるい祠ほこらがひっそりと立たっていた。
Deep in the forest, in a gloomy place, an old shrine stood quietly.
彼かれは幽ゆう暗あんの世せ界かいに引ひきこもり、誰だれとも会あわなくなった。
He withdrew into a world of seclusion and stopped seeing anyone.

Kanji

幽seclude, confine to a room, deep
暗darkness, disappear, shade
闇get dark, gloom, disorder

Related words

暗くら闇やみ
Common word for physical darkness. 幽暗 is more literary and emphasizes a quiet, secluded gloom.
闇やみ
General word for darkness, often with a nuance of moral or emotional darkness. 幽暗 is more specific to a deep, still, and often poetic gloom.

Written forms

幽ゆう暗あんUsage100%
Rare kanji spelling for literary gloom or darkness. The character 暗 is more common than 闇 in modern usage.
幽ゆう闇あん
Variant kanji spelling using 闇 (darkness). Even rarer than 幽暗.

Etymology

Compound of 幽 (ゆう, 'dim, secluded') and 暗 (あん, 'darkness'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys a sense of deep, quiet darkness.