1. having skin rich in melanin pigments (Freq. 1) - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - dark-skinned peoples • Syn: colored, coloured, dark, non-white • Similar to: black • Derivationally related forms: darkness (for: dark), colored (for: colored) 2. naturally having skin of a dark color - a dark-skinned beauty - gold earrings gleamed against her dusky cheeks - a smile on his swarthy face - 'swart' is archaic • Syn: dusky, swart, swarthy • Similar to: brunet, brunette • Derivationally related forms: swarthiness (for: swarthy), duskiness (for: dusky) • Usage Domain: archaism, archaicism