Benighting

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. The act of causing someone to be in a state of ignorance or darkness, especially in terms of knowledge or awareness
2. The process of leading someone into a condition of being uninformed or obscured from understanding
3. The occurrence of plunging an individual into a lack of enlightenment or awareness, often intentionally

Etymology: "Benight" is formed from the prefix "be-" and the noun "night," and in Middle English the verb "benyghten" meant to overtake someone with darkness, as when travellers were caught out after sunset. The sense of being caught by darkness was literal long before it became figurative. The metaphor of night as ignorance or moral blindness followed naturally, so that to be benighted came to mean being left in a state of unawareness. "Benighting" is the present participle and gerund of this verb, so it names the act itself: leaving someone in that dark state of not knowing. Its use as a noun and in the sense of the process reflects the same root, with "be-" carrying the idea of thoroughly affecting someone or something.

Synonyms: darkening, obscuring, clouding, shadowing, eclipsing

Antonyms: enlightening, illuminating, brightening, clarifying, revealing