darken C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈdɑɹkən/ UK /ˈdɑːkən/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to make or become dark or gloomy Storm clouds began to darken the horizon. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make or become dark or... dimshadowobscurecloudblackengloom ↔ Opposites lightenbrightenilluminateclear Word family Derived forms darkeneddarkening Related forms darkdarknessdarksome Common collocations darken the sky Verb + noun Etymology AI details From English 'dark' + the causative/inchoative verb suffix -en; 'dark' is from Old English deorc ('dark, obscure'), of Germanic origin. deorc Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # darken **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈdɑɹkən/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdɑːkən/ ## Meanings 1. to make or become dark or gloomy ## Examples - Storm clouds began to darken the horizon. ## Synonyms - dim - shadow - obscure - cloud - blacken - gloom ## Antonyms - lighten - brighten - illuminate - clear ## Derived Forms - darkened - darkening ## Related Forms - dark - darkness - darksome ## Roots and Affixes - Root: deorc - Affix: -en - to make ## Etymology From English 'dark' + the causative/inchoative verb suffix -en; 'dark' is from Old English deorc ('dark, obscure'), of Germanic origin. ## AI Etymology Darken is from English 'dark' + the causative/inchoative verb suffix -en; 'dark' is from Old English deorc ('dark, obscure'), of Germanic origin. In present-day use, it means to make or become dark or gloomy. Derived formations include darkened and darkening. Related vocabulary includes dark, darkness, and darksome. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown