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

• 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

McFarland had been at the nursing home since March of 2022, when he was admitted as a hospice patient with a severe case of frostbite that left his feet blackened. —Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025

Especially when his head gave a sickening whirl, blackening for a second, and his limbs seized again. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 24 July 2025

Chiffon Thomas’ silicone cast of a torso — blackened with charcoal dust, pounded with nails and braced with rebar — exists somewhere painful but consensual between S&M culture and transition surgery. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025

On the back, that same spiral reemerges, now blackened and surrounded by a checkerboard pattern, suggesting an exit from the void. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 1 July 2025

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