darken

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

Synonyms of darken

• frown
• stare
• gloom
• glare

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

What begins as an electrifying portrait of the band onstage and in transit gradually darkens as the filmmakers chronicle the planning and disastrous execution of the free Altamont Speedway concert that December. —Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025

Over the months and years, silver begins to darken from tarnish. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025

As circumstances for characters darken, sound underscores the emotional weight. —Daron James, IndieWire, 15 Nov. 2025

In Clip 2, the mood has darkened. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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