as in dark
being without light or without much light
wanting to surprise her, we waited in the darkened room for her to get home before calling out "happy birthday"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in frowned
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look
his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in obscured
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of darkened
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said it had been prepared to upgrade global growth, but the Iran war has now darkened the outlook for the world economy.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its flowers bloomed white in the spring, and its green summer leaves darkened to a reddish-purple hue in the fall.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Glossy, blonde waves perfectly frame her face, and her blue eyes, now darkened, smolder at the camera.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
The room can quickly be darkened, however, with the flick of a curtain switch.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
The atmosphere had darkened, as larger and larger percentages of students were suffering from depression and anxiety.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Walls appear charred and darkened, with visible structural damage.
—Jasmine Baehr , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
The sound box had a teardrop shape, just a couple of inches deep, with a golden-brown polyurethane finish that darkened to black at the edges.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
The managing director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said it had been prepared to upgrade global growth, but the Iran war has now darkened the outlook for the world economy.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Its flowers bloomed white in the spring, and its green summer leaves darkened to a reddish-purple hue in the fall.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Glossy, blonde waves perfectly frame her face, and her blue eyes, now darkened, smolder at the camera.
—Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
Bake, tossing halfway through, until vegetables have shrunk and tomato paste is darkened and starting to stick to baking sheet, 25–30 minutes.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
The room can quickly be darkened, however, with the flick of a curtain switch.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
The atmosphere had darkened, as larger and larger percentages of students were suffering from depression and anxiety.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Walls appear charred and darkened, with visible structural damage.
—Jasmine Baehr , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkened
Adjective
-
Sunscreen protects against sun damage, premature aging and dark spots.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Harden, 36, with his famous, protruding beard and those dark, piercing eyes, was determined to use his star power to get his way, to bring with him a slice of comfort to a new city.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The series followed her through the aftermath of a divorce and an on-again, off-again relationship with Dakota Mortensen, all of which is frowned upon by the Mormon church.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Besides impacting ecosystems and potentially damaging coral reefs, that kind of pesticide use is increasingly frowned upon more generally, says Bart Knols, a disease vector biologist who has worked with Soneva Fushi.—
Degen Pener,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But then concerns about animal welfare rose, and the acute public-health risks faded.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The plot wasn’t far off, as so many once bustling towns — like the fictional Radiator Springs — nearly faded away after being bypassed by an interstate.—
Susan Montoya Bryan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Executives are blind to how employees really feel What the early enthusiasm obscured is now visible in the numbers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The two could have easily been forgotten, obscured by the passage of time as so many returning groups are.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, the inaugural event was marred by a triple-digit heat wave and was a financial disaster.—
Vanessa Franko,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Their reunion tour — which was somehow not marred by any type of familial controversy — sold out stadiums around the world and overexcelled in every conceivable way, setting the template for what the future of band reunions could look like and solidifying their legacy.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The meaning of the messages is murky.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Season 3 leaps forward five years, aging its characters out of high school and into a much murkier version of adulthood.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It'll always be studied, stared at, written about and treasured.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And yet, the dog—Sydney’s shadow, his stray—stared back at Victor, tail wagging in recognition.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Oil rushed through the sediment and rock and blackened the water.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
My father’s thumb was huge and blackened.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Darkened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkened. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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