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Glite Dictionary
🌑 To make less bright ⚠️ To damage reputation
to darken

to darken

6 3.8
Make people think less of someone after a bad action
  • verb
  • /ˈdɑrkən/
translation icon : manchar
  • The scandal darkened his reputation as a trustworthy leader.
  • the face darkened
  • the mood darkens
  • darkened by disappointment

It tends to twist and darken and degrade and and and pervert anything that was once maybe in beautiful or interesting.

Examples

  • The negative reviews darkened her once-promising career in acting.

  • His actions darkened the community's perception of the charity organization.

  • The sun was bright, but his feelings darkened as he hastened on.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Our visit to Oneida Fish was darkened the following day when we learned the owner had a heart attack.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The Maiden's face had darkened with a terrible anger tinged with pain.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • When forced upon us, a prohibitive silence darkens the eyes and swallows the spirit.

    Blog text (27)

  • There was no mistaking the dismay that darkened her face when Nathan asked how Joshua was doing.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Dan's mood darkened as he edged down the narrow walkway in the aft end of the module.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

to taint
vsto darken
126 7.3

To make something harmful or spoil its quality

focuses on harming someone's good name rather than physical contamination
to diminish
vsto darken
89 4.7

Make a person or thing seem less important

refers to spoiling others' opinion more actively than mere reduction
to spoil
vsto darken
80 2.8

To make something less good or enjoyable

is more specific to damaging a person's honor or public standing
to discredit
vsto darken
66 6.3

To harm someone's reputation so others stop trusting them

is broader, covering general spoiling of good name beyond just loss of trust
to tarnish
vsto darken
60 4.9

To make something like metal or a reputation lose its shine

is mainly about harming someone's good name rather than physical shine
to degrade
vsto darken
55 5.1

To treat someone so they feel ashamed or less respected

is primarily about spoiling public opinion rather than the personal act of mistreatment
to denigrate
vsto darken
48 7.8

To say bad things about someone without a good reason to make them seem less important

means harming public opinion generally, not only by unfair verbal attacks
to defile
vsto darken
38 8.6

To make something dirty or harm its reputation

refers to spoiling good name without the extreme sense of ritual or deep impurity
to devalue
vsto darken
22 5.0

To make something seem less important or respected

is focused more on ruining someone's good name rather than economic worth
to besmirch
vsto darken
  • Formal
14 8.8

Make a person or company look bad by saying bad things about them

is the common verb for spoiling someone's good name without formality
to sully
vsto darken
13 7.6

Make someone's good name seem bad

is used broadly for spoiling honor or good name in similar situations
to tarnish reputation
vsto darken
3 6.0

Damage the respect and good opinion people have of someone or something

is a general verb that spoils others' good opinion or other things
to maculate
vsto darken
  • Formal
9.9

To make something dirty or spoil its reputation

emphasizes reputational harm rather than a literal dirty mark

Antonyms

to enhance
424 4.0

Make something better or more attractive

Idioms

to darken a church door
  • Informal
9.9

To enter a church reluctantly because you feel ashamed or guilty

to darken someone's door
  • Informal
9.2

To go to someone's home when they do not want you there

How Damaged

to ruin
∞ 2.0
to darken
6 3.8
to tarnish
60 4.9
to mar
2 5.3

Surface Forms

darken infinitive
darkened past
darkened past participle
darkening present participle
darkens third person singular

Morphology

darken = dark (semi-transparent) = dark + en

The verb historically extends the literal meaning metaphorically (to make something morally or reputationally 'dark'), so the connection to 'dark' is present but not fully predictable.

Etymology

Darken has the root dark meaning 'not bright' and the ending -en meaning 'to make', so the word can be used in a figurative way; just as clouds can darken the sky, bad news can darken a reputation by making it seem less bright.