darken
Americanverb (used with object)
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darkens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
darkened,
past participle, past
-
darkening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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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
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to make or become dark or darker
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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
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have darkenedperfect
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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:
Freshly eroded fragments make the coastal ocean cloudy, while dissolved organic carbon can darken the water.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 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
Gray clouds darken the sky, but Leutze bathes Washington in light, depicting him as an unflinching leader of a squad of men that purposely includes a Native American and a black man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 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
The nurses did their best to darken the room, but as soon as I got some relief from the pain, my thoughts circled back to my father.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
During an eclipse, the sky darkens offering a short window to also see the Perseids at the same time.
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
Space weathering, caused by solar wind particles, micrometeorite impacts, and cosmic radiation, slowly darkens exposed material.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2026
The sky above us darkens with smoke, like night falling early.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Stars and planets can emerge in the darkened sky, temperatures can fall, and winds may strengthen.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Fabrics with sheen or brocade thread add luminescence in the darkened church setting, says Walicka Maimone: “Only so much lighting can come from the windows. We need to lift the palette and create the sparkle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Higher interest rates and rising maintenance costs also darkened the picture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
It quotes Andy Burnham, describing him as the "Prime Minister-in-waiting", who says: "politics has darkened in the last decade" and "said he was willing to order a 'serious review' into MPs' security".
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
His eyes were slits of white in the darkened room.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
"The darkening overlaps exactly with the fern spike, the main extinction interval, and elevated abundance of charcoal and PAHs."
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
Between rising fuel prices and airfare and consumers’ darkening mood, what makes you optimistic?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
“Mr. Rice,” I said, standing and dramatically darkening my voice to what I imagined to be the proper tone for mourning,.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
