darkened; darkening
ˈdär-kə-niŋ 
1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened
1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
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
If the Iran war drags on for months, the outlook could quickly darken, setting off a downward economic spiral as falling stocks give way to weaker spending and, ultimately, a recession.
—
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
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Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
darken
verb
dark·en
ˈdär-kən
darkened; darkening
ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
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