Darken
verb
To make or become less bright or clear.
The sky will darken when it's going to rain.
Often appears as...
- darken the room
- darken one's mood
verb
To make or become more serious, sad, or gloomy.
Her mood darkened after hearing the bad news.
Often appears as...
- darken one's mood
- darken someone's day
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To color something to a darker shade.
She decided to darken her hair a shade closer to black.
Often appears as...
- darken one's hair
- darken the paint
verb
To make or become less bright or clear.
The sky will darken when it's going to rain.
Often appears as...
- darken the room
- darken one's mood
verb
To make or become more serious, sad, or gloomy.
Her mood darkened after hearing the bad news.
Often appears as...
- darken one's mood
- darken someone's day
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To color something to a darker shade.
She decided to darken her hair a shade closer to black.
Often appears as...
- darken one's hair
- darken the paint
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Atmospheric Changes
Use 'darken' to talk about changes in lighting due to weather or time of day.
Clouds gathering at dusk will darken the streets.
Pro Tip 2/3Electronic Screens
Refer to diminishing brightness of screens or displays with 'darken'.
Darken your phone screen to save battery.
Pro Tip 3/3Temporary State
Use 'darken' to describe something becoming dark that could later brighten.
The room will darken as the movie starts.
Pro Tip 1/3Atmospheric Changes
Use 'darken' to talk about changes in lighting due to weather or time of day.
Clouds gathering at dusk will darken the streets.
Pro Tip 2/3Electronic Screens
Refer to diminishing brightness of screens or displays with 'darken'.
Darken your phone screen to save battery.
Pro Tip 3/3Temporary State
Use 'darken' to describe something becoming dark that could later brighten.
The room will darken as the movie starts.
Pro Tip 1/3Atmospheric Changes
Use 'darken' to talk about changes in lighting due to weather or time of day.
Clouds gathering at dusk will darken the streets.
Pro Tip 2/3Electronic Screens
Refer to diminishing brightness of screens or displays with 'darken'.
Darken your phone screen to save battery.
Pro Tip 3/3Temporary State
Use 'darken' to describe something becoming dark that could later brighten.
The room will darken as the movie starts.
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Video examples
How optical illusions...
using assumptions about visual information to create a tailored, edited vision of the world. Imagine your brain calling out these edits on the "Okay, those squares could be objects. Let's enhance that black-white contrast on the sides with lateral inhibition. Darken those corners!
Video examples
The legend of Annapurna,...
Hunger descended on humanity. Parents struggled to console their starving children while their own stomachs rumbled. With nothing to eat, people no longer gathered over heaped bowls of rice, but withdrew and shrank from the darkening world. To His shock and awe,
Video examples
John Hodgman: A brief...
with an amazing new technology that would transform everything in the world and darken the history of the human species forever after? And isn't it a little strange that he required no payment for this? That he asked for only one thing --
Video examples
Lessons we can learn...
Elvis Costello van accident when do you think of a veteran what image comes to mind a bedraggled guy on the sidewalk panhandling for change a PTSD addled fellow sitting on his sofa in a darkened room a group of old men sipping beer in
Video examples
Top 5 Animal Adaptations...
their striking patches may help them stay cool it was found that underneath each darkened patch they had sweat glands but the size of these glands were significantly larger suggesting that indeed their skin plays a vital part in
Video examples
Thunderstorms 101 PIPE...
The clouds darken as they fill and become heavy with water. Cool, dry air from the upper layers of the atmosphere known as a downdraft then pull this moisture downward causing it to fall as life-sustaining rain.
Video examples
Ant Queens Forge an...
all ant workers are female and sterile unable to reproduce themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder
Video examples
5 Reasons Ants Are...
themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder and then they are ready to take up their duties
Video examples
Best Of Animal Teamwork...
their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder and then they are ready to take up their duties
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
and sterile unable to reproduce themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder
Video examples
How optical illusions...
using assumptions about visual information to create a tailored, edited vision of the world. Imagine your brain calling out these edits on the "Okay, those squares could be objects. Let's enhance that black-white contrast on the sides with lateral inhibition. Darken those corners!
Video examples
The legend of Annapurna,...
Hunger descended on humanity. Parents struggled to console their starving children while their own stomachs rumbled. With nothing to eat, people no longer gathered over heaped bowls of rice, but withdrew and shrank from the darkening world. To His shock and awe,
Video examples
John Hodgman: A brief...
with an amazing new technology that would transform everything in the world and darken the history of the human species forever after? And isn't it a little strange that he required no payment for this? That he asked for only one thing --
Video examples
Lessons we can learn...
Elvis Costello van accident when do you think of a veteran what image comes to mind a bedraggled guy on the sidewalk panhandling for change a PTSD addled fellow sitting on his sofa in a darkened room a group of old men sipping beer in
Video examples
Top 5 Animal Adaptations...
their striking patches may help them stay cool it was found that underneath each darkened patch they had sweat glands but the size of these glands were significantly larger suggesting that indeed their skin plays a vital part in
Video examples
Thunderstorms 101 PIPE...
The clouds darken as they fill and become heavy with water. Cool, dry air from the upper layers of the atmosphere known as a downdraft then pull this moisture downward causing it to fall as life-sustaining rain.
Video examples
Ant Queens Forge an...
all ant workers are female and sterile unable to reproduce themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder
Video examples
5 Reasons Ants Are...
themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder and then they are ready to take up their duties
Video examples
Best Of Animal Teamwork...
their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder and then they are ready to take up their duties
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
and sterile unable to reproduce themselves their sole purpose in life is to serve the queens they darken as their bodies become harder
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Sue Perkins
English Comedian
I have a voice inside. A voice that I am forever trying to silence. A voice that calls me in when I want to be out, playing. A voice that is always sad. That is always terrified. That always wants to sit in the darkened room, away from noise and movement and colour - away from any experience that could prove to be challenging.
Quote examples
John Reid
British Politician
There are many ways of encouraging people to make life better other than joining a political party. Politics with a small 'p' isn't just about darkened committee rooms, endless meetings - it is about giving people the right to make decisions about our lives.
Quote examples
Kameron Hurley
American Writer
As a science fiction and fantasy writer, I used to love writing bleak, grimdark futures full of bleak, grimdark people. But I've found that as the world around me darkens, all I really want to do is grasp for more light.
Quote examples
Emily Watson
English Actress
My character Lena is somebody who responds to people in a very simple way. I didn't have to take myself off to a darkened room to concentrate, I just had to try and be open. It's an interesting, subtle relationship.
Quote examples
Steve Carell
American Actor
Your brain, like your tongue, is a muscle. Practicing thinking by yourself really helps develop your brain, which you need throughout your day. I like to practice my thinking in a darkened room, alone.
Quote examples
Jon Richardson
English Comedian
Comedy gigs are there because you are all in acceptance that the world is not the way it should be. You have to give yourself a break; otherwise, you would sit crying in a darkened room.
Quote examples
Alice Walker
American Author
On a spiritual level, it's as though with my sighted eye I see what's before me, and with my unsighted eye I see what's hidden. It's illuminated life more than darkened it.
Quote examples
Harriet Ann Jacobs
American Writer
Every where the years bring to all enough of sin and sorrow; but in slavery the very dawn of life is darkened by these shadows.
Quote examples
Plutarch
Greek Philosopher
A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.
Quote examples
Groucho Marx
American Comedian
Go, and never darken my towels again.
Quote examples
Sue Perkins
English Comedian
I have a voice inside. A voice that I am forever trying to silence. A voice that calls me in when I want to be out, playing. A voice that is always sad. That is always terrified. That always wants to sit in the darkened room, away from noise and movement and colour - away from any experience that could prove to be challenging.
Quote examples
John Reid
British Politician
There are many ways of encouraging people to make life better other than joining a political party. Politics with a small 'p' isn't just about darkened committee rooms, endless meetings - it is about giving people the right to make decisions about our lives.
Quote examples
Kameron Hurley
American Writer
As a science fiction and fantasy writer, I used to love writing bleak, grimdark futures full of bleak, grimdark people. But I've found that as the world around me darkens, all I really want to do is grasp for more light.
Quote examples
Emily Watson
English Actress
My character Lena is somebody who responds to people in a very simple way. I didn't have to take myself off to a darkened room to concentrate, I just had to try and be open. It's an interesting, subtle relationship.
Quote examples
Steve Carell
American Actor
Your brain, like your tongue, is a muscle. Practicing thinking by yourself really helps develop your brain, which you need throughout your day. I like to practice my thinking in a darkened room, alone.
Quote examples
Jon Richardson
English Comedian
Comedy gigs are there because you are all in acceptance that the world is not the way it should be. You have to give yourself a break; otherwise, you would sit crying in a darkened room.
Quote examples
Alice Walker
American Author
On a spiritual level, it's as though with my sighted eye I see what's before me, and with my unsighted eye I see what's hidden. It's illuminated life more than darkened it.
Quote examples
Harriet Ann Jacobs
American Writer
Every where the years bring to all enough of sin and sorrow; but in slavery the very dawn of life is darkened by these shadows.
Quote examples
Plutarch
Greek Philosopher
A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.
Quote examples
Groucho Marx
American Comedian
Go, and never darken my towels again.
Example 1 of 10
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