# darken someone's door

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/darken-someones-door
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To arrive at someone's residence or location, especially as an unexpected visitor.

## Examples

- I hope he never darkens my door again.
- You should not darken their door without calling them first.
- After our argument, he promised he would never darken my door again.
- The salesman tried to darken my door every Tuesday until I finally put up a sign that said no visitors.
- My old neighbor used to darken my door whenever he ran out of sugar or needed to borrow tools for his garden.
- She warned her estranged brother that if he dared to darken her door, she would call the police immediately.

## Origin

The idiom likely originates from the physical shadow cast by a visitor standing at a threshold, which causes the entrance to appear darkened. An alternative theory suggests a derivation from an obsolete sense of the verb darken, meaning to lie in wait, loiter, or lurk. The expression serves as a formal notice that one’s presence is no longer required at a particular address, though the specific date of its first appearance remains unrecorded in the source. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.