darken

verb

dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdär-kə-niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened

transitive verb

1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
3
: taint, tarnish
darkened his reputation
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
darkener noun

Examples of darken in a Sentence

The sky darkened and it started to rain. Her face darkens to a deep red when she gets angry. The wood will darken as it ages. The bad news darkened his mood. The last days of her life were darkened by illness. His mood darkened after he heard the bad news.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The experience of being a Black foreigner in a country governed by its racial gradients darkened his view of Kenya. Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024 If artificial intelligence could be used to brighten a person’s mood, it could probably be used for darkening a person’s personality, too. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024 This leads to a phenomenon called gravity darkening, in which the star’s poles shine brighter than its equator. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024 On one such day in June, as forest fires raged in Quebec, the smoke outside darkened the Manhattan sky, which turned orange in the afternoon; the building smelled of campfire. Christopher Carroll, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for darken 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of darken was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near darken

Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

darken

verb
dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
darkener noun

More from Merriam-Webster on darken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!