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

Pour in the tomato puree, mix gently, partially cover, and cook until the puree darkens and thickens and has mostly been absorbed by the rice, about 3 minutes. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Of these two types of backlit TVs, full-array models stand out as the best choice because their lighting is broken down into zones that can be individually lit or darkened as needed. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

Some woods are very photosensitive, like cherry and walnut, but cherry darkens with sun exposure while walnut fades. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026

China’s growth target is already its lowest since 1991, and the economic picture is darkened further by a real estate downturn that is straining local government finances and undercutting spending capacity, Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026

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