blacken C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈblækən/ UK /ˈblækən/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like bracken /l/ vs /ɹ/ Meanings 1 verb to make or become black or dark; to defame Smoke from the fire began to blacken the kitchen ceiling. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make or become black or... darkendefameslanderbesmirchsullytarnishvilify ↔ Opposites whitenbrightenpraiseexonerate Word family Derived forms blackenerblackening Related forms black Etymology AI details From black (Old English blæc) + the verb-forming suffix -en ('to make'). blæc Old English -en Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # blacken **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈblækən/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈblækən/ ## Meanings 1. to make or become black or dark; to defame ## Examples - Smoke from the fire began to blacken the kitchen ceiling. ## Synonyms - darken - defame - slander - besmirch - sully - tarnish - vilify ## Antonyms - whiten - brighten - praise - exonerate ## Derived Forms - blackener - blackening ## Related Forms - black ## Roots and Affixes - Root: blæc - Root: -en ## Etymology From black (Old English blæc) + the verb-forming suffix -en ('to make'). ## AI Etymology Blacken is from black (Old English blæc) + the verb-forming suffix -en ('to make'). Important recorded forms include blæc (Old English) and -en (Old English). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to make or become black or dark; to defame. The wider family includes derived forms such as blackener and blackening and related words such as black. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown