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
The glasses feature a 12MP stabilized camera, five mics, dual speakers, and electrochromic lenses that darken on demand.
—
Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
But just as Covid restrictions were lifted, and people began again to mingle again in public, the general social atmosphere seemed to darken.
—Thomas Cangelosi, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
These products work by interacting with proteins on the surface of the skin to create a temporary darkening effect, mimicking a natural tan.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Anderson’s second foray into stop-motion animation may be his most generous and accessible entertainment, which is an odd thing to say about a film darkened by themes of authoritarianism, internment, and extermination.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for darken
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Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
But just as Covid restrictions were lifted, and people began again to mingle again in public, the general social atmosphere seemed to darken.
—Thomas Cangelosi, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
These products work by interacting with proteins on the surface of the skin to create a temporary darkening effect, mimicking a natural tan.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Anderson’s second foray into stop-motion animation may be his most generous and accessible entertainment, which is an odd thing to say about a film darkened by themes of authoritarianism, internment, and extermination.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 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 18 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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