blacken

1 to make dirty blackened the towels with their dirty hands Synonyms befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, dirty, daub, distain [archaic], foul, gaum [dialect], grime, mire, muck, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sullyRelated Words contaminate, defile, pollute, taint; discolor; confuse, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, disorder, draggle, jumble, mess, muddle; colly [chiefly British dialect], crock [dialect]Near Antonyms decontaminate, purge, purify; disinfect, sanitize; brush, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, rinse, scour, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe; brighten, deodorize, freshen, renew, spruce (up); straighten (up), tidy (up)Antonyms clean, cleanse

2 to make untrue and harmful statements about the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation Synonyms asperse, slander, calumniate, defame, libel, malign, smear, traduce, vilifyRelated Words belittle, denigrate, detract, disparage; discredit, disgrace, dishonor, shame; abase, debase, degrade, humble, humiliate; disdain, scornNear Antonyms exalt, glorify, honor; acclaim, applaud, commend, praise; esteem, respect; admire, regard; adore, revere, venerate, worship

3 to make dark, dim, or indistinct thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles Synonyms becloud, bedim, befog, cloud, blear, blur, darken, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroudRelated Words adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade; camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veilNear Antonyms expose, reveal, uncover, unveilAntonyms brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten

4 to grow dark the auditorium blackened suddenly, and a spotlighted performer appeared alone on stage Synonyms darken, black out, close in, duskRelated Words dim, fade, wane; gloom, lower (also lour)Near Antonyms dawn; beam, glow, radiate, shineAntonyms brighten, light, lighten