blacken
Americanverb (used with object)
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blackens,
present (3rd person singular)
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blackened,
past participle, past
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blackening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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blackens,
present (3rd person singular)
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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:
A new scientific review suggests that Polygonum multiflorum, a root used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years to "blacken hair and nourish essence," could be a promising alternative for managing AGA.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 9, 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
You’re not looking to fully blacken every kernel, just enough scorch to bring out that toasty, nutty edge.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025
But as the ghostly figure draws nearer, its skin rots and its eyes blacken.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
If she has no wool for the darning and the stockings are dark we can blacken our ankles with shoe polish for the respectability that’s in it.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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
To make his own version, Mr. Garcia slowly and thoroughly blackens chiles, which form the base along with burned tortillas and cacao.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2020
A plume of smoke rises up above the streetlamps and blackens the sky.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 26, 2019
Dusk softens the sharp points of trees outside my window; the sky slowly darkens, then blackens around an orb of moon.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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
Though the surrounding hillside was blackened and charred, the town of Cotignac was undamaged and the Barnes' family home left intact.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Fast-spreading flames blackened the sky over the peninsula as tourists scrambled onto boats that ferried them to safety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Relatives of the victims and those who survived the fire visited the blackened bar on Tuesday, some laying garlands and praying for the dead.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Wish it was blackened catfish,” says Nessa, still chowing down.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
Drone footage showed fierce flames blackening hundreds of containers on the dock, with water jets from a fire truck dwarfed by the scale of the blaze that broke out on Monday.
From Reuters ● Feb. 7, 2023
‘Bad. Bone-deep. But no sign of the blackening sickness.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
