DARKEN - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Verb
become dark or darker
Example: The sky darkened
Categories: Change
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Verb
tarnish or stain
Example: a scandal that darkened the family's good name
Categories: Tarnish, Stain, Maculate, Sully, Defile
Meaning 3
Part of speech: Verb
make dark or darker
Example: darken a room
Categories: Change, Alter, Modify
Synonyms
Antonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "darken" comes from Proto-West Germanic *dirkinōn. It started in Old English *deorcnian. Then it appeared in Middle English derkenen. Many other languages have similar words:.
- Scots: derken
- Old High German: tarchanjan
- Middle High German: terken
🔗 Related Words
dark – A related word in the same word family.
-en – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
Each civilization borrowed this word because they encountered the concept through cultural contact.