underlit

Insufficiently bright below

Underlit describes something lit from below, or inadequately lit.

A face underlit by a flashlight looks eerie, shadows falling upward.

An underlit room lacks sufficient light: The underlit parking garage felt unsafe.

Film and photography use underlighting deliberately for dramatic effect.

lighting

faint

Weak and indistinct

softYielding to touch
lowNot elevated
mutedMade quieter or softer

subdued · gentle · diffuse · ambient · indirect · filtered · dappled · pale · wan · flickering

atmosphere

dim

Low in light

shadowyObscured by darkness
murkyDark and unclear
gloomyDark and dispiriting

moody · eerie · haunting · ghostly · spooky · ominous · foreboding · chilling · sepulchral · tenebrous

photography

exposure

State of being unprotected

contrastNotable difference between things
silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
chiaroscuroContrast technique in painting

noir · cinematic · dramatic · backlit · lowkey · shadow · highlight · tone · mood · grain

concealment

obscured

Made hard to perceive

hiddenKept out of sight
veiledConcealed or obscured
shroudedCovered and hidden

masked · cloaked · indistinct · unclear · vague · hazy · nebulous · blurred · imperceptible · unnoticed

Categories

dim lightingcandlelit, twilit, moonlit, shadowy, dusky

Opposites

lighting intensity

underlitoverlit

Excessively illuminated

well-lit · brightly lit · bright · floodlit · glaring

Family

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G