# darken

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈdɑɹkən/ · frequency rank #33,602

## Definitions
1. To make dark or darker by reducing light.
2. To become dark or darker (having less light).
3. To get dark (referring to the sky, either in the evening or as a result of cloud).
4. To make dark or darker in colour.
5. To become dark or darker in colour.
6. To render gloomy, darker in mood.
7. To become gloomy, darker in mood.
8. To blind, impair the eyesight.
9. To be blinded, lose one’s eyesight.
10. To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible.
11. To make foul; to sully; to tarnish.
12. To be extinguished or deprived of vitality, to die.

## Etymology
From Middle English derkenen, dirkenen, from Old English *deorcnian, *diercnian (“to darken”), from Proto-West Germanic *dirkinōn (“to darken”), equivalent to dark + -en.
Cognate with Scots derken, durken (“to darken”), Old High German tarchanjan, terchinen (“to darken”), Middle High German terken, derken (“to darken”).

## Easily confused with
- **darn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darn)
- **Darko** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darko)
- **darker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darker)
- **Darren** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darren)
- **Darwin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darwin)
- **darkly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darkly)
- **Doreen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-doreen)
- **darned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darned)
- **darted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darted)
- **Darrin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darrin)
- **Darlene** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darlene)
- **darkened** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darken-vs-darkened)
- **dark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dark-vs-darken)
- **dare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dare-vs-darken)
- **dared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dared-vs-darken)
- **dares** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dares-vs-darken)
- **dampen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dampen-vs-darken)
- **Darien** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/darien-vs-darken)

## Common misspellings (9)
`adrken`, `dakren`, `darekn`, `darkenn`, `darkken`, `darkne`, `darrken`, `ddarken`, `draken`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/darken