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
Scientists had expected that radiation from the magnetic field of Uranus would darken the trailing hemispheres of its moons, but an analysis of the surfaces of Uranus’ four major moons — Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon — found the opposite.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
While the Village itself skirted much physical damage, its storefronts have stood empty for weeks upon weeks, their windows darkened.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 29 May 2025
The arc of the subject’s life is evoked through steadily darkening, tightening mood, with certain scenes and setups replicated to variously despairing effect, from tacitly shifting points of view.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 May 2025
Outside, San Francisco at dusk: Bob Ross clouds in haphazard sweepings of pink and feathered gray and, darkening beneath them, the city itself, garishly beautiful and troubled.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
While the Village itself skirted much physical damage, its storefronts have stood empty for weeks upon weeks, their windows darkened.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 29 May 2025
The arc of the subject’s life is evoked through steadily darkening, tightening mood, with certain scenes and setups replicated to variously despairing effect, from tacitly shifting points of view.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 May 2025
Outside, San Francisco at dusk: Bob Ross clouds in haphazard sweepings of pink and feathered gray and, darkening beneath them, the city itself, garishly beautiful and troubled.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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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