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:
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
You’re not looking to fully blacken every kernel, just enough scorch to bring out that toasty, nutty edge.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025
Tossed with some sliced cabbage that’s spread on the pan next to the tofu, the sauce helps the thinner cabbage pieces singe and blacken appealingly.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 14, 2024
If it’s a multiple choice test, I choose both “A” and “B,” although considering the crew, I may just blacken in choice “D” with my number two pencil.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
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
Four Marines crouch in the foreground surrounded by the blackened remains of burned trees; in the top two-thirds of the picture the black-and-white smoke of the blast billows upward, beautiful in its destruction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Another builds rainbow-colored bowls overflowing with blackened chicken, rice, leafy greens, fresh vegetables and other thoughtfully placed garnishes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Residents affected by wildfires say they were left "angry and upset" after a mural of Prime Minister Andy Burnham was painted on a blackened mountainside above their homes.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 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
When the mock war is over, my eye is blackened and both of my knees are skinned and the gold side has won the second and third battles.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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
It was the kind that the clans call the smoke-frost: an icy breath that descends from the High Mountains at the start of winter, blackening berries and sending small creatures scuttling for their burrows.
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.
