darken

1 of 2

verb

dark·​en ˈdär-kən 

darkened; darkening ˈdär-kə-niŋ 

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

ˈdär-kə-nər 

noun

darkener

2 of 2

noun

dark·​en·​er ˈdär-kə-nər 

plural -s

: one that darkens

Synonyms of darken

Verb

• frown
• stare
• gloom
• glare

Examples of darken in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Again, some are pretty obvious—wide-angle broadens the lens's view, Vignette darkens the edges, and Soft Focus captures glowing, ethereal pictures. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

Cook, stirring often, until butter browns and nuts have slightly darkened, 6–8 minutes. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

With all the scoring, the skies darkened to the point where the teams couldn’t continue. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

That sense of hospitality is even more pronounced on the second floor, with its vintage furniture and darkly luxurious decor of green stone, darkened zebrano, walnut and waxed bronzite, and velvet curtains. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

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

Phrases Containing darken

• darken someone's door/doors

Rhymes for darken

• harken
• hearken
• markan
• parkin

Kids 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

darkener

ˈdärk-(ə-)nər 

noun