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

Whether this backlash will slow the data center boom, blacken the reputation of AI companies and their products with users, or hasten the roll-out of AI regulation globally remains to be seen. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025

Wait until the first frost when the foliage has turned brown, wilted, or mushy and the stems have blackened. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025

Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo is also on the list but only affects four states – Texas not included. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2025

Recalled Trader Joe's pasta sold in Arizona The CDC said listeria contaminated products sold at Trader Joe's were the store's Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettucine alfredo, contained in a plastic tray. —Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 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