darkened
darkened — adjective
- darkenedpositive
- more darkenedcomparative
- most darkenedsuperlative
1. completely lacking light, or deliberately kept in shadow so that very little can
completely lacking light, or deliberately kept in shadow so that very little can be seen
Quinn waited inside the darkened room until her eyes slowly adjusted.
collocation: darkened room
The darkened cinema was silent except for the projector's low hum.
Femi felt along the darkened hallway wall, unable to find the light switch.
Heavy curtains kept the bedroom darkened even at midday during the summer.
Minh could just make out a figure standing in the darkened doorway ahead.
- dim
suggests reduced light rather than near-total darkness
- shadowy
implies shapes are barely visible, often with an eerie feeling
- pitch-black
stronger and more emphatic — absolute absence of light
darkened — verb
- darkenedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- darkeneds3rd person singular
- darkeneding-ing form
- darkenededpast simple
1. to slowly lose light, so that things around you become harder to see
to slowly lose light, so that things around you become harder to see
The sky darkened so fast that Talia pulled over and turned on the headlights.
intransitive: sky darkened
Lukas sat on the porch as the fields around him slowly darkened into dusk.
When the projector failed, the screen darkened and the audience began to murmur.
The water in the bay darkened as clouds covered the afternoon sun.
文法句型
something darkens
用法筆記
Subject is usually the sky, a room, a screen, or a body of water.
常見錯誤
2. to turn sad, worried, or angry — used of a person's face, mood, or the feeling i
to turn sad, worried, or angry — used of a person's face, mood, or the feeling in a room
Daichi's face darkened the moment he opened the letter from the hospital.
intransitive: someone's face/expression darkened
The children fell quiet when their grandfather's mood suddenly darkened at dinner.
Diya tried to laugh it off but her eyes darkened with unmistakable anger.
The whole room's atmosphere darkened after the manager announced the budget cuts.
- brighten
to become visibly happier or more cheerful
文法句型
someone's mood / expression / face darkens
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a person's face, expression, eyes, or the mood of a group.
3. to deliberately make a colour deeper and less bright, for example by adding blac
to deliberately make a colour deeper and less bright, for example by adding black paint or a darker shade
Paloma darkened her hair with a natural dye made from crushed walnut shells.
transitive: darken + hair/colour
The photographer darkened the edges of the portrait to draw attention to the face.
Esther darkened the pale blue walls with a second coat of deep navy paint.
Tariq darkened the icing with cocoa powder until it matched the dark chocolate cake.
Tomás darkened the leather with oil, rubbing it in slow circles with a cloth.
文法句型
someone darkens something
用法筆記
Object is a colour, surface, or visual material. Distinguish from sense 1: here someone deliberately causes the change.
4. to reduce visibility or understanding, making something harder to see through or
to reduce visibility or understanding, making something harder to see through or grasp
Thick fog darkened the road ahead until Omar could barely see the white line.
transitive: fog/rain/smoke darkened the view
The lawyer's long explanation only darkened the jury's grasp of the key facts.
Dust on the lens darkened every photo William took at the mountain lookout.
Heavy makeup darkened the actor's features so much I hardly recognised him.
- clarify
to make something easier to understand
- illuminate
to shed light on something, physically or figuratively
文法句型
something darkens something
用法筆記
Object can be a physical view or an abstract idea. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is transitive and the darkness actively blocks or confuses something specific.
5. to damage the good name or reputation of a person or organisation, often in a wa
to damage the good name or reputation of a person or organisation, often in a way that cannot be undone
The tax scandal darkened the mayor's reputation beyond repair in her own hometown.
transitive: darken someone's reputation/name
One reckless mistake darkened a spotless military record built over two decades.
Accusations of cheating darkened Omar's name among the university faculty and students.
The failed project darkened the company's image in markets it had dominated for years.
文法句型
something darkens someone's reputation / name / record
用法筆記
Object is always something abstract — a reputation, name, record, or legacy. Never used with physical objects.
6. to make a happy occasion or place suddenly feel sad, heavy, or hopeless
to make a happy occasion or place suddenly feel sad, heavy, or hopeless
News of the factory closure darkened what had been a joyful harvest festival.
transitive: darken an event/celebration
The threat of war darkened every family gathering that winter in the border town.
A sudden death in the community darkened the holiday season for the entire village.
Paloma's angry outburst darkened the farewell dinner, and guests left earlier than planned.
- overshadow
one dominant negative event makes everything else feel insignificant
- dampen
reduces enthusiasm or excitement rather than spreading deep sadness
- cloud
less intense — a worry passes over rather than settling in
- brighten
to make an occasion feel happier or more hopeful
文法句型
something darkens an event / occasion / celebration
用法筆記
Object is an event, occasion, or place that was previously happy or hopeful. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 describes a person's mood changing; sense 6 describes an external event spreading gloom over a whole situation.