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Glite Dictionary
to darken someone's door

to darken someone's door

9.2
To go to someone's home when they do not want you there
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : visitar a alguien
  • Never darken my door again, young man.

Examples

  • I told you not to darken my door.

    Jungle Fever (1991)

  • I'll give you five if you never darken my door again.

    My Sailor, My Love (2022)

  • After our disagreement, I hope he doesn't darken my door ever again.

  • She warned her ex not to darken her door following their breakup.

  • Whenever I see him approaching, I pray he won't darken my door with his problems.

Antonyms

to welcome
583 1.0

Greet someone in a friendly way when they arrive

Surface Forms

darken someone's door infinitive
darkened someone's door past
darkened someone's door past participle
darkening someone's door present participle
darkens someone's door third person singular

Morphology

darken + someone's + door

The meaning 'to visit someone's home (especially when unwelcome)' is not directly derivable from the literal constituents: 'darken' (to make darker or sully) and 'door' (an entry). This is an idiomatic, somewhat archaic figurative use (presence casting a shadow) that a B1 learner who only knows the component words would unlikely predict.

Etymology

Darken someone's door may come from the simple image of a person standing in a house entrance and making the doorway darker by blocking the light. So when someone says don't darken your door, they mean they do not want that person to 'visit' or come to their home, especially when unwelcome.