darken

verb

dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdär-kə-niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)

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 noun

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 As the sky darkens, colors, especially warmer ones like red and orange, start to lose vibrancy and saturation, mixing in with the grays. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 As the eclipse begins, the sky will darken, making colors look different. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024 When the moon passes between the sun and the earth, the sky darkens as the face of the sun is blocked entirely. Ria Gupta, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2024 The wind picked up in the afternoon and the sky darkened. Sanaë Lemoine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 No one is in a hurry, and the sunset only becomes more dramatic as the sky darkens. Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Photos showed a similar level of banding and darkening, which translated to losing shadow detail. PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2024 Some Fed officials at that December meeting expressed reservations about continuing to raise rates as the global economic mood seemed to be darkening while U.S. inflation remained muted. Bob Fernandez, WSJ, 12 Jan. 2024 But the inflation outlook will darken if the Israel-Hamas war spreads to other countries in the region, threatening global energy supply, or if oil prices — which have barely budged since the Houthis ramped up their attacks — start to rise. Anna Cooban, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'darken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of darken was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near darken

Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

darken

verb
dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on darken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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