DARKEN Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

darken

verb

ˈdär-kən

Definition of darken

as in to frown

to take on a gloomy or forbidding look his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fade

to grow dark the sky darkened as a storm moved in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to obscure

to make dark, dim, or indistinct years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to mar

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of darken Add kale and cook, stirring often, until darkened in color and very tender, 7–9 minutes (garlic will break into even smaller pieces). — Carla Lalli Music, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 Pour in the tomato puree, mix gently, partially cover, and cook until the puree darkens and thickens and has mostly been absorbed by the rice, about 3 minutes. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Of these two types of backlit TVs, full-array models stand out as the best choice because their lighting is broken down into zones that can be individually lit or darkened as needed. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 Some woods are very photosensitive, like cherry and walnut, but cherry darkens with sun exposure while walnut fades. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for darken

Recent Examples of Synonyms for darken

Verb

Softness and flaccidity are frowned upon, and there is still a great deal of silence surrounding these issues among men.

— Roberto Prieto, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Looking on was Trooper Major, body camera footage shows, frowning in the sun as the deputies followed guidance from a portable defibrillator device.

— Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of frown

Verb

Decked out in traditional Virginia style furnishing and framed prints, the charm of the resort doesn’t fade where guests rest their heads.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Community organizations spent decades cultivating wealthy baby boomer donors, and so that connection fades with each generation removed from the original donors.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

Aggregate data can obscure radically different labor market realities, and monetary policy calibrated only to the aggregate can miss the productive capacity sitting beneath it.

— Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Racing on Crait kicks up those vibrant red dust clouds, which obscure the view of other racers and can even slow them down.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Verb

The designer had felt the atmosphere shift after her disastrous outdoor cruise collection in Marseille in May 2024, which was marred by a mini-storm.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
International observers have described previous elections in Serbia as marred by multiple irregularities and violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of mar

Verb

With the Seminoles staring at the end zone from the 4-yard line, Daniels faked the pitch left, kept the football and charged straight up the middle, steamrolling through Virginia safety Christian Ellis before crashing into the end zone.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
The stranger stared at him in mute disappointment, then turned and went out.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stare

Verb

With minimal humidity, near-perfect clear-sky frequency and vast empty horizons, Namibia offers the kind of slow, immersive darkness that makes dusking feel less like a trend and more like a return to something ancient.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The park is open from daylight to dusk for visitors and 24/7 for campers.

— Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 15 Jan. 2026

Definition of dusk

Verb

But even with 22 tracks to work with, the sound too often defaults to a similar muted backdrop, which blurs some of the less distinct songs together.

— Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
The move into podcasting marks another expansion for MasterClass, which has increasingly blurred the lines between online education and entertainment.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of blur

Verb

But these two things at a certain time of year, because in the summer, the cottage cheese would rot, and the eggs would spoil.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Digger is, first and foremost, a parable—without spoiling the plot, its events are intentionally exaggerated to make a point about humans and climate change.

— Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of spoil

Browse Nearby Words

dark ages

darken

darkened

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Darken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/darken. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of darken

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes