Darkening — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ˈdär-kən/ dark·en

Meaning & Definition of Darkening

Darkening (verb)

  1. to grow dark, become obscured
  2. to become gloomy
  3. to make dark

Darkening (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

    "a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits"

    similar: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched
    related: blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting, desperate, hopeless, pessimistic, lamentable, mournful, plaintive, sorrowful, colorless, drab, dull, dour, grim, lowering, lowery, menacing, negative, oppressive, threatening
    opposite: bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny
    near: blithe, blithesome, buoyant, gay, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome

Darkening (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to take on a gloomy or forbidding look

    "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"

    similar: glooming, glowering, lowering
    related: frowning, scowling, glaring, staring, brooding, moping, petting, pouting, sulking, angering, bristling, fuming, raging, steaming, storming, intimidating, menacing, threatening
    opposite: brightening, cheering (up), lightening, perking (up)

  2. to grow dark

    "the sky darkened as a storm moved in"

    similar: blackening, blacking out, closing in, dusking
    related: dimming, fading, waning, glooming, lowering
    opposite: brightening, lightening, lighting
    near: dawning, beaming, glowing, radiating, shining

  3. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen"

    similar: beclouding, bedimming, befogging, blackening, blearing, blurring, clouding, dimming, dislimning, fogging, fuzzing (up), hazing, misting, obscuring, overcasting, overclouding, overshadowing, shadowing, shrouding
    related: adumbrating, blotting out, concealing, eclipsing, hiding, obliterating, screening, shading, camouflaging, cloaking, covering, curtaining, disguising, masking, veiling
    opposite: brightening, illuminating, illumining, lightening, lighting (up)
    near: exposing, revealing, uncovering, unveiling

  4. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation"

    similar: blemishing, marring, poisoning, spoiling, staining, tainting, tarnishing, touching, vitiating
    related: begriming, besmearing, besmirching, blackening, blurring, clouding, dirtying, discoloring, polluting, smearing, smirching, smudging, smutting, soiling, sullying, tarring, abasing, cheapening, debasing, degrading, demeaning, discrediting, disgracing, dishonoring, fouling, lowering, shaming, sinking, bastardizing, corrupting, debauching, demoralizing, depraving, perverting, subverting, coloring, distorting, twisting
    near: cleansing, purifying, dignifying, elevating, ennobling, enshrining, glorifying, hallowing, magnifying, uplifting

Related Entry: Darken (verb)

Darken is a different word from Darkening. The synonyms below are for darken, not for darkening.

  1. to take on a gloomy or forbidding look

    "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"

    similar: gloom, glower, lower
    related: frown, scowl, glare, stare, brood, mope, pet, pout, sulk, anger, bristle, fume, rage, steam, storm, intimidate, menace, threaten
    opposite: brighten, cheer (up), lighten, perk (up)

  2. to grow dark

    "the sky darkened as a storm moved in"

    similar: blacken, black out, close in, dusk
    related: dim, fade, wane, gloom, lower
    opposite: brighten, light, lighten
    near: dawn, beam, glow, radiate, shine

  3. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen"

    similar: becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, blur, cloud, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud
    related: adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade, camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil
    opposite: brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten
    near: expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

  4. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation"

    similar: blemish, mar, poison, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Darkening

The most common words with a similar meaning to Darkening:

Chiefly Scottish: dreich
black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Darkening

Words with the opposite meaning of Darkening:

bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny, brightening, cheering (up), lightening, perking (up), lighting, illuminating, illumining, lighting (up)

Related Words for Darkening

blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting, desperate, hopeless, pessimistic, lamentable, mournful

Near Antonyms of Darkening

blithe, blithesome, buoyant, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome, dawning, beaming, glowing, radiating, shining, exposing, revealing, uncovering, unveiling, cleansing, purifying, dignifying, elevating, ennobling, enshrining, glorifying

Word Forms of Darkening

Inflections: darkened

Derived words: darkener (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Darkening

First known use: 14th centuryi

Frequently Asked Questions about Darkening

What does "Darkening" mean?

"Darkening" means to grow dark, become obscured. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to grow dark, become obscured. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Darkening"?

Other words for "Darkening" include black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold and comfortless. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Darkening" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Darkening"?

There are 185 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Darkening". Common alternatives include black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark and depressing.

What is the opposite of "Darkening"?

Antonyms of "Darkening" include bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive and friendly. Near antonyms include blithe, blithesome, buoyant and jocund.

How do you use "Darkening" in a sentence?

Examples of "Darkening" in a sentence: "a darkening sky that seemed to match our downcast spirits"; "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"; "the sky darkened as a storm moved in".

Is "Darkening" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Darkening" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Darkening"?

"Darkening" is pronounced /ˈdär-kən/ and divided into syllables as dark·en.

What is the origin of the word "Darkening"?

First known use: 14th centuryi.