blacken

1 of 2

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

blackener

2 of 2

noun

black·​en·​er ˈblak-nər 

ˈbla-kə-

plural -s

: a leather worker that brushes blackening compound onto the grain side of tanned hides

called also blacker

Synonyms of blacken

Verb

• stain
• dirty
• besmirch
• sully

Examples of blacken in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Timber Fire Monterey County’s Timber Fire burning near Big Sur has blackened nearly 2,500 acres since its start Monday afternoon and is 5% contained. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026

The old silver and gold shops, their facades blackened by time, were gone. — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026

It was blackened, charred, the conductor that had drawn the single precise punch of lightning. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026

If basil is exposed to freezing temperatures, the result is frost damage that can cause leaves to blacken. — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 26 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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