blacken

verb

black·​en ˈbla-kən 

blackened; blackening

ˈblak-niŋ, 

ˈbla-kə- 

intransitive verb

: to become dark or black

the sky blackens

transitive verb

1

: to make black

2

: defame, sully

blackened her reputation

blackener

ˈblak-nər, 

ˈbla-kə- 

noun

Synonyms of blacken

• stain
• dirty
• besmirch
• sully

Examples of blacken in a Sentence

Fire had blackened the field.

The sky blackened as the storm approached.

Their false accusations failed to blacken my reputation.

a presidency blackened by scandal

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s more than just blackening bananas; electrodes embedded in the fruit transmit electrical signals into sound and light tones that constantly shift. — Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

Frost will blacken and collapse the foliage of begonias (Begonia grandis). — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026

Season the fish on both sides with 4 teaspoons of the blackening seasoning. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026

On Tuesday, a silver cross on a long chain hung from the pine tree’s bark, which was peeling and blackened from the blaze. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English blaknen, blakenen, from blak black entry 1 + -n, -en -en entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for blacken

• bracken
• lakin
• slacken

Kids Definition

blacken

verb

black·​en ˈblak-ən 

blackened; blackening ˈblak-(ə-)niŋ 

1

: to make or become dark or black

2

: to hurt the reputation of

blackener

-(ə-)nər 

noun