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 point is to strip away contaminants (like pesticides or trace metals) as well as other compounds that make the oil prone to going rancid, give it a harsh taste or smell, or darken its color.
—
Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2025
Silver can also stimulate the production of the pigment melanin, causing darkening.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The details vary depending on your location, but out in the western U.S. and Canada the moon will already be among the Pleiades stars soon after the sun has set and the twilight sky darkens.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Within minutes medics had pronounced the boy dead at the scene and noticed abrasions and darkening on his face.
—Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for darken 
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Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2025
Silver can also stimulate the production of the pigment melanin, causing darkening.
—Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025
The details vary depending on your location, but out in the western U.S. and Canada the moon will already be among the Pleiades stars soon after the sun has set and the twilight sky darkens.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Within minutes medics had pronounced the boy dead at the scene and noticed abrasions and darkening on his face.
—Noe Padilla, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 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 22 Jan. 2025.
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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