dark

when possible, avoid using "dark" to express negatives. (It's been used subjectively in, for example, "Dark Ages" and "Dark Continent"; the latter is considered offensive.) Use instead the word that comes closest to your actual meaning: sinister, dismal, dreary, bleak, grim, gloomy, depressed, dejected, cheerless, joyless, sad, doleful, sullen, glum, dour, moody, glowering, evil, wicked, villainous, base, vile, ominous, threatening, menacing. It's a small step, but it helps. See also black.