darken

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verb

Definition of DARKEN

1

to take on a gloomy or forbidding look <his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news>

Synonyms gloom, glower, lower (also lour)

Related Words frown, scowl; glare, stare; brood, mope, pet, pout, sulk; anger, bristle, fume, rage, steam, storm; intimidate, menace, threaten

Antonyms brighten, cheer (up), lighten, perk (up)

2

to grow dark <the sky darkened as a storm moved in>

Synonyms blacken, black out, close in, dusk

Related Words dim, fade, wane; gloom, lower (also lour)

Near Antonyms dawn; beam, glow, radiate, shine

Antonyms brighten, light, lighten

3

to make dark, dim, or indistinct <years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen>

Synonyms becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, blur, darken, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud

Related Words adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade; camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil

Near Antonyms expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

Antonyms brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten

4

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable <posthumous revelations of marital infidelity have darkened the President's reputation somewhat>

Synonyms blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, vitiate

Related Words begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar; abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink; bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert; color, distort, twist

Near Antonyms cleanse, purify; dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift