darken

[ dahr-kuhn ]

See synonyms for: darken darkened darkens on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to make dark or darker.
to make obscure.

to make less white or clear in color.
to make gloomy; sadden: He darkened the festivities by his presence.
to make blind.

verb (used without object)

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 about darken

darken someone's door, to come to visit; make an appearance: Never darken my door again!

Origin of darken

First recorded in 1250–1300, darken is from the Middle English word derknen.See dark, -en¹

Other words for darken

4	depress, dispirit, blacken, deject

See synonyms for darken on Thesaurus.com

Other words from darken

dark·en·er, noun
un·dark·en, verb (used with object)
well-darkened, adjective

Words Nearby darken

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use darken in a sentence

At sunset that day, the refinery’s rooftop will darken, but only for four months.
Domino Sugar is replacing its massive neon landmark in Baltimore — and hopes no one will notice a difference | Colin Campbell | February 7, 2021 | Washington Post
The on-court clouds that have darkened Toronto’s early season could be clearing.
The Toronto Raptors Can’t Seem To Finish Their Drives | Louis Zatzman | January 27, 2021 | FiveThirtyEight
The bots flag “restatement” as a negative word, which darkens their outlook on a company’s prospects.
A 2011 dictionary is reshaping the language of corporate reporting | Samanth Subramanian | January 24, 2021 | Quartz
The racism he faced in the run up to the record might have darkened Aaron’s joy, but, for him, bitterness never lingered.
Baseball Legend Hank Aaron Has Passed Away, But His Home Run Record Remains a Lesson in Courage and Commitment | Sean Gregory | January 22, 2021 | Time
That phenomenon occurs when the Moon is farthest away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun, resulting in a ring of light around the darkened moon.
Mars missions, a super-powered telescope, and more exciting 2021 space events | Paola Rosa-Aquino | January 7, 2021 | Popular-Science

The camera would pull in, the background would darken, and you would give a meta-commentary on the events.
Voting for Slavery? Jim Wheeler Gets Into Hot Water | Jamelle Bouie | October 30, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
If you only vote on how a person personally feels about abortion, you will never want her to darken your door.
Sarah Palin's a Brainiac | Elaine Lafferty | October 27, 2008 | THE DAILY BEAST
When the sky began to darken, however, they desisted for a time, and set about making preparations for the coming storm.
Hunting the Lions | R.M. Ballantyne
Gwynne's mind seemed to darken until only one luminous point confronted it, the visible tormented soul of his kinsman.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
But you must know, she said, looking at him with her sea-blue eyes, that in moments of tense emotion seemed to widen and darken.
The Woman Gives | Owen Johnson
Over her shoulder peered her cousin Dave, and June saw his face darken while she looked.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine | John Fox, Jr.
His hair was a little less primrose coloured than it had been (pomatum does darken hair a little), but his eyes had not altered.
Mushroom Town | Oliver Onions

British Dictionary definitions for darken

darken

/ (ˈdɑːkən) /

verb

to make or become dark or darker
to make or become gloomy, angry, or sad: his mood darkened

darken someone's door (usually used with a negative) to visit someone: never darken my door again!

Derived forms of darken

darkener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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