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 experience of being a Black foreigner in a country governed by its racial gradients darkened his view of Kenya.
—
Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
If artificial intelligence could be used to brighten a person’s mood, it could probably be used for darkening a person’s personality, too.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
This leads to a phenomenon called gravity darkening, in which the star’s poles shine brighter than its equator.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
On one such day in June, as forest fires raged in Quebec, the smoke outside darkened the Manhattan sky, which turned orange in the afternoon; the building smelled of campfire.
—Christopher Carroll, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken 
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Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2024
If artificial intelligence could be used to brighten a person’s mood, it could probably be used for darkening a person’s personality, too.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
This leads to a phenomenon called gravity darkening, in which the star’s poles shine brighter than its equator.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024
On one such day in June, as forest fires raged in Quebec, the smoke outside darkened the Manhattan sky, which turned orange in the afternoon; the building smelled of campfire.
—Christopher Carroll, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken
Dictionary Entries Near darken
Cite this Entry
“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/darken. Accessed 21 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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