darkened; darkening
ˈdär-kə-niŋ 
1
: to grow dark : become obscured
the skies were darkening
2
: to become gloomy
his mood darkened
1
: to make dark
2
: to make less clear : obscure
the financial crisis darkened the future of the company
4
: to cast a gloom over
5
: to make of darker color
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
The artwork required 10 prototypes to get right, and is made from stainless steel that was darkened using a process called physical vapor deposition, with contour lines engraved into the bright metal beneath.
—
Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
All of it exacted a toll on Sullivan, sharpening his elbows ever so slightly and darkening the circles under his sleepless eyes.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 10 Oct. 2024
Palm fronds riffled in the hot breeze as the sky darkened and the air smelled, mysteriously, of salad dressing.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken 
Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024
The weather is darkening, the leaves are falling and the zombies are nearing your doorstep.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
All of it exacted a toll on Sullivan, sharpening his elbows ever so slightly and darkening the circles under his sleepless eyes.
—Issie Lapowsky, WIRED, 10 Oct. 2024
Palm fronds riffled in the hot breeze as the sky darkened and the air smelled, mysteriously, of salad dressing.
—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'darken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
darken
verb
dark·en
ˈdär-kən
darkened; darkening
ˈdärk-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or grow dark or darker
the sky darkened
2
: to make or become gloomy or forbidding
her face darkened in anger
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