darken

verb

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dark·en | \ ˈdär-kən

darkened; darkening\ ˈdär-kə-niŋ

Definition of darken

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

Other Words from darken Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about darken

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Synonyms & Antonyms for darken

Synonyms

gloom,
glower,
lower
(also lour)

Antonyms

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 This has four color covers and the translucent option as well to lighten or darken your set. — Chris Hachey, BGR, "Best Light Reflector for Photography," 5 May 2021 Cook, stirring the ingredients at the center, gradually combining them with the vegetables until fully incorporated and the tomato paste begins to darken and stick to the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. — Star Tribune, "Sunday supper: Tomato-Braised Cauliflower With Feta and Mint," 30 Apr. 2021 Our moles may darken, our voices deepen (as Kristen Bell’s did while recording Frozen, requiring her to go back after pregnancy and rerecord parts of the soundtrack in her normal girlish tones). — Dina Litovsky, Smithsonian Magazine, "The New Science of Motherhood," 22 Apr. 2021 Black tea production differs from green and white tea in that the black tea leaves oxidize for a longer period of time; oxidizing means that the tea leaves are exposed to air, allowing the leaves to darken and develop rich flavor. — Ola Faleti, chicagotribune.com, "Is black tea good for you?," 18 Apr. 2021 The pink porch’s stained glass panels seemed to darken and weigh doen that room, however, so they were preserved but covered up. — House Beautiful, "Inside an Iconic Church-Turned-Family Home That First Ran in House Beautiful in 1989," 8 Apr. 2021 Turn off the oven and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon for 10 minutes; the surface of the cake will darken slightly during this time. — BostonGlobe.com, "Make-ahead recipes for Easter brunch," 24 Mar. 2021 Remove pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda and ginger; the mixture will foam and darken. — Star Tribune, "Recipe: Sticky Toffee-Date Cake," 19 Mar. 2021 An alloy of predominantly copper, with usually tin or other metals added, bronze is prone to oxidization that makes its surface darken and change over time. — Daniel Bentley, Fortune, "3 bronze watches that deserve first place in your collection," 7 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'darken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near darken

darken someone's door/doors

dark-eyed junco

Statistics for darken

Last Updated

12 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 15 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for darken

darken

verb

English Language Learners Definition of darken

: to make (something) dark or to become dark or darker in color

: to make (something) less happy or to become less happy

See the full definition for darken in the English Language Learners Dictionary

darken

verb

dark·en | \ ˈdär-kən

darkened; darkening

Kids Definition of darken

1 : to make or grow dark or darker … in three months the long Arctic night that lasted for sixty-six days would darken the top of the world.— Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolves

2 : to make or become gloomy Her mood darkened with the news.