blacken
Americanverb (used with object)
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blackens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blackened,
past participle, past
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blackening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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blackens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blackened,
past participle, past
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blackening
present participle
verb
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to make or become black or dirty
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(tr) to defame; slander (esp in the phrase blacken someone's name )
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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blackensimple
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blackenssimple
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have blackenedperfect
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has blackenedperfect
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am blackeningprogressive
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are blackeningprogressive
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is blackeningprogressive
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have been blackeningperfect progressive
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has been blackeningperfect progressive
Past
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blackenedsimple
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had blackenedperfect
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was blackeningprogressive
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were blackeningprogressive
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had been blackeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blacken
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at black, -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:
The herb has been used for more than 1,000 years and has traditionally been associated with "blacken hair and nourish essence."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 7, 2026
These incidents may temporarily blacken the eyes of the NBA and Major League Baseball but sports gambling is here to stay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
She’s prepared to leave immediately should the fire worsen or smoke blacken the sky.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 12, 2022
Other than that, their meat was a pinch drier than some of the other methods, and their skin got crispy in spots but began to blacken in others before it could become consistently golden.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2022
I had callused my hands; I had scratched dirt to blacken the nails, which I cut straight across to make stubby fingers.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
When the ice blackens it's ability to reflect the sun diminishes and this accelerates the melting of the ice.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2024
"The extent of the destruction blackens our hearts, I apologise for the losses," Mitsotakis said in a televised address, promising his government would stand by all those hurt by the blazes.
From Reuters ● Aug. 9, 2021
A plume of smoke rises up above the streetlamps and blackens the sky.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 26, 2019
Partridges, pheasants and quail to roast; pigeons to bring to tenderness slowly with red wine and onions, and quails to split, skewer and grill until their skin blackens and their bones crunch.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 8, 2017
The storm that blackens the horizon is sweeping toward us at a frightening pace, its lightning forking closer with each passing second.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
One popular order is the Diaspora Delight with blackened salmon and jollof rice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Salisbury was colorful: A mixed martial arts enthusiast, he once appeared at the agency’s headquarters with his face bruised and eye blackened from a recent bout.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
As access reopened mid-morning, AFP saw the blackened remains of several burnt-out cars along roads near Omis, some ringed by silver puddles of metal that had melted under the intense heat of the fires.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
From damaged port infrastructure to listing ships with bridges blackened and containers still smouldering, the evidence is everywhere.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
In the sword’s reflection, he saw two torches hanging from the ceiling over an old, blackened stone altar.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
The mood among many Labour MPs is darkening, even blackening.
From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026
That’s why even when a fire is 100% contained, it can still be blackening acres of land, and firefighters can still be battling to keep it from getting out of control.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2024
Algae lying dormant on the ice starts blooming in spring blackening large areas of the ice.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 4, 2024
“But some people are blackening the Party’s name.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
She stared intently at her marshmallow, holding it outside the lower flames to avoid blackening it.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
