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.
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to become less white or clear in color.
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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
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(usually used with a negative) to visit someone
never darken my door again!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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darkensimple
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darkenssimple
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have darkenedperfect
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has darkenedperfect
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am darkeningprogressive
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are darkeningprogressive
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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:
Those who witness a total eclipse will first see the sky darken.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 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
"Think of photochromic sunglasses. When you're inside, they're just clear lenses. You walk out into the sun, and they darken on their own. Come back inside, and the lenses become clear again," Nguyen continued.
From Science Daily ● May 15, 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
Up ahead, the sun dipped behind a hazy cloud bank and the world really did darken a few shades.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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
At some point, the room darkens, and the crowd watches the jacket glow — she becomes a bioluminescent creature in human form.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
Space weathering, caused by solar wind particles, micrometeorite impacts, and cosmic radiation, slowly darkens exposed material.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 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
He traveled to a remote island off West Africa and on May 29, 1919, photographed stars made visible behind the darkened sun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
Many are swollen, have darkened skin or bear the marks of injuries, making identification difficult.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Over time, darkened wax appeared inside queen cells, showing that workers were selectively collecting and transforming materials from elsewhere in the hive for use in queen development.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
Lev and the others showed me the same reserved respect they held while tending to the dead, averting their eyes whenever possible, their faces solemn even as fear and confusion darkened their gazes.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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
Abroad, though, interest rates and inflation risks have shot up, fuel is being conserved, and economic forecasts are darkening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
In the growing gloom of the darkening clouds their golden, pointed caps glowed brightly.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
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.
