English Reference

Word

darkened

Phoneticsdark·ened

US/ˈdɑɹkənd/

UK/dˈɑːkənd/

Definition

adj. made dark or having very little light. You use this to describe a room where the lights are off or a sky covered in clouds.

adj. having little or no light; made dark or gloomy. Often used as a participial adjective to describe physical spaces or emotional atmospheres.

Examples

“He walked slowly into the darkened room.”

“The audience fell silent as the lights dimmed and the darkened theater filled with music.”

“The storm clouds gathered quickly, casting a shadow over the darkened valley and forcing the hikers to seek immediate shelter before the rain began.”

Examples

simple

“He walked slowly into the darkened room.”

contextual

“The audience fell silent as the lights dimmed and the darkened theater filled with music.”

complex

“The storm clouds gathered quickly, casting a shadow over the darkened valley and forcing the hikers to seek immediate shelter before the rain began.”

Usage

Often used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'remain' or 'stay'.

Real-World Examples

“On a darkened rooftop in Tel Aviv, Israeli intelligence officers outline the details of their work.”
The Guardian · 11 Sept 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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