blacken

blacken — verb

1. to turn something so dark that it looks black, or to change to that colour.

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to turn something so dark that it looks black, or to change to that colour.

Example

Smoke from the fire blackened the kitchen ceiling above the stove.

blacken + surface changed by smoke

Years of rain blackened the stone steps outside the church.

Common collocations
  • blacken with smoke
  • blacken the ceiling
  • blacken over time
  • blacken badly
Synonyms
  • darken

    broader and weaker; something can darken without becoming nearly black

  • stain

    focuses on leaving a mark, often from liquid or dirt, rather than the final dark colour

  • char

    usually involves strong heat that burns the surface

Antonyms
  • lighten

    make something less dark

  • clean

    used when dirt or smoke is what made the surface black

Grammar Patterns

blacken something

something blackens

Usage Note

Often used for walls, metal, skin, or other surfaces changed by smoke, dirt, age, or fire. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about a general colour change, not a cooking method.

2. to cook food over strong heat until the surface turns very dark and slightly bur

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to cook food over strong heat until the surface turns very dark and slightly burned, or to turn that way while cooking.

Example

The cook blackened the fish in a hot iron pan.

blacken + food in a hot pan

Butter and spices blackened the chicken skin within two minutes.

Common collocations
  • blacken the fish
  • blacken the chicken
  • blacken in a pan
  • blackened peppers
Synonyms
  • char

    stronger; often suggests more burning and less control

  • sear

    means cooking the surface quickly over high heat, but it does not always turn black

  • burn

    broader and often negative; blacken can describe a deliberate style of cooking

Grammar Patterns

blacken food

food blackens in a hot pan

Usage Note

Usually used for solid foods such as fish, chicken, corn, or peppers, especially in a very hot pan or on a grill. Distinguish from sense 1: the dark surface here comes from cooking, often on purpose.

Common Mistakes

I blackened the sauce by cooking it too long.
I burned the sauce by cooking it too long.
this cooking sense usually describes the outside of solid food, not a liquid sauce.

3. to damage a person's good name by making other people think badly of them.

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to damage a person's good name by making other people think badly of them.

Example

The false story blackened the teacher's name across the whole town.

blacken + someone's name

Rival papers tried to blacken the mayor before the election.

Common collocations
  • blacken someone's name
  • blacken a reputation
  • blacken the mayor
  • blacken a business online
Synonyms
  • defame

    more formal and often used in legal contexts

  • smear

    more informal and strongly suggests a planned attack

  • tarnish

    broader; can mean causing weaker, slower damage to an image

Antonyms
  • clear

    show that accusations are not true

  • praise

    speak well of someone instead of damaging their image

Grammar Patterns

blacken someone's name

blacken someone's reputation

Usage Note

Object is usually a person's name, image, or reputation, or that of a group or business. Common when the speaker suggests unfair attacks or damaging stories, unlike neutral criticism.

Common Mistakes

The article criticized the actor's late arrival and blackened him.
The article criticized the actor's late arrival and damaged his reputation.
'blacken' means harming someone's public image, not simply mentioning one fault.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For sense 1, 'blacken' is stronger than 'darken'. If rain darkens wood, the colour gets deeper, but it may not look black. 'Blacken' suggests a much darker result, often from smoke, dirt, age, or fire. 'Stain' focuses on a mark left by liquid or dirt, and the colour can be brown, red, or any other shade. 'Char' is mostly about damage from very strong heat, especially on food, paper, or wood. In cooking, 'blacken' can be deliberate, but 'char' often stresses burning. You can blacken a ceiling with smoke, stain a shirt with coffee, darken a room with thick curtains, or char bread by leaving it too long in the toaster.

blacken ↗darken ↗stain ↗char ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Built in English from 'black' and the suffix '-en', which often forms verbs meaning 'become' or 'make'. 'Black' comes from Old English 'blaec', meaning 'black' or 'dark'. So 'blacken' first meant either growing black or making something black, and later developed special uses for cooking and for harming a person's reputation.