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

Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames. —Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026

The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy. —ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026

The company later became known for environmental damage, most notably for causing one of the worst oil spills in history when its supertanker, the Exxon Valdez, spewed millions of gallons of crude oil off Alaska that blackened shorelines and killed marine life. —Alex Kuffner, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

The benches are blackened with age, strewn with tools. —Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 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