verb

blacken

BLA-kuhn

Blacken (verb) means to make something black or turn black. Example: “Smoke blackened the ceiling above the fireplace.”

verb

To make something black or turn black.

"Smoke blackened the ceiling above the fireplace."

"Her fingers were blackened with charcoal."

To damage someone's reputation; to defame.

"The rumors were meant to blacken his name."

To cook fish or meat by coating it in spices and searing it quickly in a hot pan.

"The chef blackened the catfish with a Cajun spice blend."

How to use blacken

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo turn something black, to damage a reputation, or to sear food in hot spices.

Common pairings

blacken someone's name blackened salmon

Word forms

blackened past tense, blackens singular

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Smoke _____ the ceiling above the fireplace.

Etymology

From Middle English blaknen, formed from black plus the verb-forming suffix -en.

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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black black up blackwash blatch bletch denigrate forswart infuscate nigrify pitch swart swarten

Related words

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Rhymes for blacken

bracken

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Frequently asked questions

What does “blacken” mean?

The word “blacken” means to make something black or turn black. In plain terms, to turn something black, to damage a reputation, or to sear food in hot spices.

How do you pronounce “blacken”?

“Blacken” is pronounced BLA-kuhn (/ˈblækən/ in IPA).

How do you use “blacken” in a sentence?

Here is “blacken” used in a sentence: “Smoke blackened the ceiling above the fireplace.”

What is another word for “blacken”?

Words with a similar meaning to “blacken” include black, black up, blackwash, blatch, bletch and denigrate.

What part of speech is “blacken”?

“Blacken” is a verb.

Where does the word “blacken” come from?

The word “blacken” comes from Middle English. From Middle English blaknen, formed from black plus the verb-forming suffix -en.

How many meanings does “blacken” have?

“Blacken” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make something black or turn black.

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