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Darkness vs Darken - What's the difference?

darkness | darken |

As a noun darkness

is (lb) the state of being dark; lack of light.

As a verb darken is

to make dark or darker by reducing light.

darkness

English

Alternative forms

* darckness (obsolete) * darkeness (obsolete)

Noun

  • (lb) The state of being dark; lack of light.
  • :
  • *1912 , (Willa Cather),
  • *:Over everything was darkness and thick silence, and the smell of dust and sunflowers.
  • *
  • *:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness , but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
  • (lb) Gloom.
  • (lb) The product of being dark.
  • (lb) The state or quality of reflecting little light, of tending to a blackish or brownish color.
  • :
  • (lb) Evilness, lack of understanding or compassion, reference to death or suffering.
  • Antonyms

    * lightness

    darken

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make dark or darker by reducing light.
  • * Bible, Exodus x. 15
  • They [locusts] covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened .
  • To become dark or darker (having less light).
  • To make dark or darker in colour.
  • To become dark or darker in colour.
  • To render gloomy, darker in mood
  • * Shakespeare
  • With these forced thoughts, I prithee, darken not / The mirth of the feast.
  • To become gloomy, darker in mood
  • To blind, impair eyesight
  • * Bible, Rom xi. 10
  • Let their eyes be darkened , that they may not see.
  • To be blinded, loose clear vision
  • To cloud, obscure, or perplex; to render less clear or intelligible.
  • * Bible, Job xxxviii. 2
  • Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Such was his wisdom that his confidence did seldom darken his foresight.
  • To make foul; to sully; to tarnish.
  • * Shakespeare
  • I must not think there are / Evils enough to darken all his goodness.

    Conjugation

    (en-conj-simple)

    Derived terms

    * darkener * darken someone's door

    Synonyms

    * blacken

    Anagrams

    * * * * * English ergative verbs