darken

CEFRC1

/ˈdɑɹkən/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To become or make something less light.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To become dark or darker (having less light).

Examples

  • Don't you ever darken my door again!

  • The jealousy is starting to darken Tom's mind.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To get dark (referring to the sky, either in the evening or as a result of cloud).

  2. To make dark or darker by reducing light.

  3. To make dark or darker in colour.

More examples

In context

  • The sky suddenly began to darken.

  • 1797, Ann Radcliffe, The Italian, London: T. Cadell Jun[ior] and W. Davies, Volume 2, Chapter 9, p. 303, His countenance darkened while he spoke […]

  • 1773, Samuel Johnson, letter to James Boswell dated 5 July, 1773, in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, Volume I, London: Charles Dilly, p. 424, When your letter came to me, I was so darkened by an inflammation in my eye, that I could not for some tim...

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Use heavy curtains to blank the room for a better sleep.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English derkenen, dirkenen, from Old English *deorcnian, *diercnian (“to darken”), from Proto-West Germanic *dirkinōn (“to darken”), equivalent to dark + -en. Cognate with Scots derken, durken (“to darken”), Old High German tarchanjan, terchinen (“to darken”), Middle High German terken, derken (“to darken”).