darken
Americanverb (used with object)
-
darkens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
darkened,
past participle, past
-
darkening
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
darkens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
darkened,
past participle, past
-
darkening
present participle
-
to become dark or darker.
-
to become obscure.
-
to become less white or clear in color.
-
to grow clouded, as with gloom or anger.
-
to become blind.
idioms
verb
-
to make or become dark or darker
-
to make or become gloomy, angry, or sad
his mood darkened
-
(usually used with a negative) to visit someone
never darken my door again!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
darkensimple
-
darkenssimple
-
have darkenedperfect
-
has darkenedperfect
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am darkeningprogressive
-
are darkeningprogressive
-
is darkeningprogressive
-
have been darkeningperfect progressive
-
has been darkeningperfect progressive
Past
-
darkenedsimple
-
had darkenedperfect
-
was darkeningprogressive
-
were darkeningprogressive
-
had been darkeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of darken
First recorded in 1250–1300, darken is from the Middle English word derknen. See dark, -en 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It is an ironic choice, but as the shadows of antisemitism and fascism continue to darken and spread across the world, he is keeping his options open.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
It was the strangest kind of farewell; more sadness than satisfaction, more 'thanks for the memories' than 'never darken our door again'.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Scattered through old Southern community and church cookbooks are recipes for spiced Saltines: butter-soaked, herb-flecked, oven-baked until they darken to a toastier shade of gold.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Both light sources darken skin through the same biological process: UV rays change the structure and chemical profile of DNA in the skin, which then produces more melanin in order to prevent further damage.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Bree and I coat her limbs with bei powder and darken her skin.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Hundreds of kilometers away – in Denver and along the Canadian border – heavy ashfall darkens the sky, obstructs roads and disrupts power, water supplies and communications.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
During an eclipse, the sky darkens offering a short window to see the Perseid meteor shower, which also peaks on Wednesday evening.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Include them and Americans’ average level of preparation for retirement darkens considerably.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Slowly, the surface darkens into something deeply golden, edged in amber, the fat rendering and crisping, the spice blooming in the oil.
From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2026
It was a gray afternoon, the kind of gray that darkens and deepens the greens of leaves and grasses.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
High diesel costs have only darkened the scenario.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Consumers’ mood has darkened in October, according to the University of Michigan’s monthly survey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Now those darkened daytime Bradford rooms will take their place alongside other defining names and moments in cultural history inside Tate Britain, home to the biggest collection of British art in the world.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
As I moved from darkened room to darkened room, ridiculed in one, flirted with in another, a thread of finding one’s own personal paradise in a hellscape began to emerge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, “We haven’t got Father, and shall not have him for a long time.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
On Tuesday, the IMF will unveil its global economic forecast, along with detailed regional outlooks through the week, as policymakers set about tackling the challenges darkening the economic horizon.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
They also compared tree pollen with fern spores to determine whether the darkening might have been caused by biological differences between plant groups.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
When he first noticed the sky darkening, Chapman thought a storm was coming.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Reduce the heat to low if the spices are darkening in color too quickly.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
He looked out into the darkening sky as the last hints of sunlight shone between the buildings.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
