darkening 1 of 2

adjective

as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

darkening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of darken
1
as in frowning
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
as in fading
to grow dark the sky darkened as a storm moved in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obscuring
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 marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of darkening
Verb
The summer sounds of 1966 offered a distraction from darkening clouds of social and political upheaval. — Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 The Hapsburg Inspector General, the equivalent of the food inspector darkening the doorway of a scummy restaurant? — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026 Alfred Dreyfus to warn that the ‘demons of antisemitism’ haunting France’s past are again darkening its present. — Masha MacPherson, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 It’s made of a cotton-linen blend that lets the sunlight in, and its 100-percent-cotton backing layer is just thick enough to keep the summer heat out of the room without darkening it. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 11 July 2026 Auto-correct tools generally brighten photos, but this one also knows when an image needs darkening. — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026 Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Today, the skies seem to be darkening once again. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 June 2026 One brush fire from the summer storm then split into two, and the raging flames sent plumes of black smoke upward, darkening the skies for miles and fouling the air. — Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for darkening
  1. dark
  2. frowning
  3. fading
  4. obscuring
  5. marring
  6. bleak
  7. staring
  8. blackening
Adjective
  • Their traditional decor centers around darker fabrics and pale wall coverings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Her doctor advised her to stop clinical hyperpigmentation treatments for her dark spots and uneven skin tone as some ingredients could be unsafe to use while trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Verb
  • This focuses readers on the all-black uniforms of the veiled pupils, who—in a long frame at the center of the page—sit between the looming, frowning teacher on the right and Marji on the left, who stands up to explain that her uncle was executed by the Islamic regime.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
  • Woods, 50, is seen frowning in the photo, taken shortly after the legendary golfer was booked into jail on March 27 after his Land Rover rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of frowning
Verb
  • That's particularly true given a rising risk of JetBlue underperforming on RASM and the fading likelihood of its consolidation with other airlines, Godyn said.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • That workplace is fading, and the controls have not kept pace.
    — Houman Akhavan, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of fading
Verb
  • On Saturday, July 25, the Deadpool star went undercover at the conference as his sword-bearing Marvel superhero, posing with fans with his character’s mask obscuring his face.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • But Hegseth’s push for $67 billion more in emergency Iran spending — while the Pentagon directs $75 billion from last year’s tax cuts law to other military spending — may be obscuring a war cost that is far greater.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of obscuring
Verb
  • To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline.
    — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Definition of marring
Adjective
  • Eventually, a gun-free compromise was found, though the opening act of the movie would remain surprisingly bleak and emotionally complex.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Some of them are orphans or runaways, and so the environment is pretty bleak.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleak
Verb
  • On top of that, many schools have kids spending lots of time on screens, even though staring at them for long periods can be stressful and exhausting.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Residents will encounter him perched on the air conditioner just outside their apartment, staring in.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of staring
Verb
  • Check monthly for signs of shriveling (add moisture), blackening or softening (discard).
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • The Volcano fire was among blazes this week, blackening more than 100 acres in Riverside County.
    — Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of blackening

Browse Nearby Words

darkened
darkening
darkens
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Darkening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darkening. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on darkening

Nglish: Translation of darkening for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All