darken

verb

dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdär-kə-niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)
Synonyms of darkennext

intransitive verb

1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened

transitive verb

1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
3
: taint, tarnish
darkened his reputation
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
darkener
ˈdär-kə-nər How to pronounce darken (audio)
noun

Synonyms of darken

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Examples of darken in a Sentence

The sky darkened and it started to rain. Her face darkens to a deep red when she gets angry. The wood will darken as it ages. The bad news darkened his mood. The last days of her life were darkened by illness. His mood darkened after he heard the bad news.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But look past insurance acceptance and ask whether more people are actually getting – and staying on – treatment, and the picture darkens. — Yashaswini Singh, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 But whether in Frankfurt or, later, Weimar — where Soviet officials are as keen to canonize Thomas — this father and daughter aren’t simply driving through Germany but taking a tour across fascism’s long shadow, which still darkens the world. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Visual Forensics The monument would darken the nation’s premier military burial ground early in the morning on more than 280 days a year, a Post analysis finds. — Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 As larger, necessary conversations regarding race, genre, music and industry categorization subsumed her Blue Island press run, the album’s softer, relatively disappointing commercial returns further darkened the energy around the release. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for darken

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of darken was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing darken

Rhymes for darken

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Browse Nearby Words

dark current
darken
darkener
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Cite this Entry

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

darken

verb
dark·​en ˈdär-kən How to pronounce darken (audio)
darkened; darkening ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce darken (audio)
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
darkener
ˈdärk-(ə-)nər How to pronounce darken (audio)
noun
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