darken

verb

dark·en ˈdär-kən

darkened; darkening ˈdär-kə-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to grow dark : become obscured

the skies were darkening

: to become gloomy

his mood darkened

transitive verb

: to make dark

: to make less clear : obscure

the financial crisis darkened the future of the company

: taint, tarnish

darkened his reputation

: to cast a gloom over

: to make of darker color

darkener

ˈdär-kə-nər

noun

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Poll worker tells me to take the ballot back and darken the circles.

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 14 Nov. 2022 This is proving problematic, especially as companies tend to cut their marketing budget when economic conditions darken.

Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2022 The food coloring also can darken your lips and teeth, but only slightly, not in a full-on zombie way.

Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 7 Oct. 2022 As the sky began to darken, Lauder’s son pushed his grandmother’s wheelchair through the water — which was now below his waist — while Lauder carried the other woman to a hotel.

María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2022 As the sky began to darken, Lauder’s son pushed his grandmother’s wheelchair through the water - which was now below his waist - while Lauder carried the other woman to a hotel.

María Luisa Paúl, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Oct. 2022 Barnes' supporters also questioned a mailer produced by the state Republican Party that uses a filter to darken one side of the flier, including a picture of Barnes.

Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2022 The same applies to other skin or health issues that darken the skin because ultimately, Dr. Tzu notes, the products are not targeting the source.

Gabi Thorne, Allure, 20 Sep. 2022 The fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on commodity prices continues to darken the continent’s prospects.

William Pesek, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'darken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.