dark past
Troubled personal history
A dark past is a personal history marked by shameful, traumatic, or morally questionable events—things someone would rather keep hidden.
The phrase often appears in fiction describing mysterious characters: She never spoke of her dark past.
In everyday use, it can range from genuine trauma to playful exaggeration: We all have a dark past; mine involves a regrettable haircut.
- secretsConcealed information
- buried secretsConcealed shameful truths
- shadowsDark areas from blocked light
- hauntedOccupied by ghosts
- skeleton in the closetShameful hidden past
buried · hidden · hidden shame · trauma · regret · shame · skeletons · ghosts · memories · sins · troubled · demons · history · scarred · painful · deep wounds · murky · murky waters
- backstoryorigin story, origin, background, history, flashback
- redemptionredemption arc, redeemed, forgiven, saved, moral redemption
- thrillerssuspense, thriller, nail-biter, page-turner, cliffhanger
- antiheroesDeadpool, Punisher, Wolverine, Venom, Catwoman
- hero tropesaction heroes, chosen one, superheroes, hero's journey, reluctant hero
- comic tropessecret identity, origin story, superpowers, sidekick, supervillain
dark pastopen book
One easily understood
nothing to hide · clean slate · clear conscience · public record
dark, past, darken, darkened, darkening, darker, darkest, darkly, darkness