English

Verb

darken ‎(third-person singular simple present darkens, present participle darkening, simple past and past participle darkened)

1. (transitive) To make dark or darker by reducing light.
   • Bible, Exodus x. 15

     They [locusts] covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened.

2. (intransitive) To become dark or darker (having less light).
3. (transitive) To make dark or darker in colour.
4. (intransitive) To become dark or darker in colour.
5. (transitive) To render gloomy, darker in mood
   • Shakespeare

     With these forced thoughts, I prithee, darken not / The mirth of the feast.

6. (intransitive) To become gloomy, darker in mood
7. (transitive) To blind, impair eyesight
   • Bible, Rom xi. 10

     Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.

8. (intransitive) To be blinded, loose clear vision
9. To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible.
   • Bible, Job xxxviii. 2

     Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

   • Francis Bacon

     Such was his wisdom that his confidence did seldom darken his foresight.

10. To make foul; to sully; to tarnish.
    • Shakespeare

      I must not think there are / Evils enough to darken all his goodness.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• darkener
• darken someone's door

Synonyms

• blacken

Translations

Anagrams

• danker
• endark
• Kendra
• narked
• ranked