darken

dark·en | \ ˈdär-kən

How to pronounce darken (audio)

\

darkened; darkening\ ˈdär-kə-niŋ

How to pronounce darkening (audio)

\

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

Keep scrolling for more

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 mere mention of the Buckeyes during a Zoom call with reporters Thursday caused the cheery Brown to grow agitated as his face darkened. — Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, "Ohio State still the ghost that haunts Michigan football," 22 May 2020 The burning weatherproofs the wood and causes its grain to darken and emerge in a beautiful pattern. — Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, "Out of the coronavirus pandemic, two San Antonio high schoolers learn to embrace ‘dirt therapy’," 21 May 2020 As the prospects in Arkansas darken, Mr. McCready is scheduled to perform in another concert, arranged by the same promoters, and set for Saturday in Pineville, Missouri, about two hours away. — Graham Bowley, New York Times, "Officials Move to Block Concert Billed as First Since Virus Hit," 13 May 2020 The decisions come as showrooms are darkened from the spread of the outbreak and as more Americans have been thrown out of work because of the pandemic, increasing the likelihood of recession. — Chester Dawson, Bloomberg.com, "Toyota, Honda Extend Auto Plant Shutdowns in U.S. and Canada," 12 May 2020 Without getting too scientific, DHA reacts with the amino acids in the cells on the top layer of your skin to darken them without affecting any of the cells below this layer. — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, "I Just Tried Self Tanner for the First Time, and Here's What I Learned," 24 Apr. 2020 Others piled up their meager belongings to make windbreaks as a storm forecast to drop 10 inches of snow on the city darkened the sky. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, "Homeless people forced to stay in makeshift shelters as coronavirus spreads. What they need is real housing," 23 Apr. 2020 Yet as the day darkens to evening, Taylor still has plenty to say. — Raisa Bruner, Time, "'I Knew Inevitably It Would Betray You.' James Taylor on Avoiding the Trap of Celebrity," 6 Feb. 2020 But volcanic aerosols can block sunlight and darken lunar eclipses. — Katherine Kornei, Science | AAAS, "‘Dark’ lunar eclipse points to medieval volcanic eruptions," 4 May 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about darken

Dictionary Entries near darken

darken someone's door/doors

dark-eyed junco

Statistics for darken

Last Updated

25 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 1 Jun. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

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

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.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

stiction

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

May 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of exiguous?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.