blacken
/ˈblak(ə)n
/verb
1Make or become black or dark, especially as a result of burning, decay, or bruising: [with object]: stone blackened by the soot of ages (as adjective blackened) she smiled at Mary, revealing blackened teeth [no object]: he set light to the paper, watching the end blacken as it burned...
- He smiled slowly at her expression, revealing blackened teeth.
- Kels asked him, smiling to reveal a row of soot blackened teeth.
- Walking along the wet roads, empty apart from small gaggles of students, past big buildings of dark grey stone blackened by rain.
Synonyms
make black, black, darken, make dark/darker;
dirty, make dirty, make sooty, make smoky, stain, grime, begrime, befoul, soil
grow/become black, darken, dim, grow dim, cloud over
1.1 [with object] Dye or colour (the face or hair) black for camouflage or cosmetic effect: paras in full combat gear with blackened faces...
- Young girls blackened their faces and hobbled like cripples to avoid molestation but it made no difference.
- He then proceeded to blacken his face entirely while trying to remember the words to the song.
- Children also used to blacken their faces, as Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators might have done.
1.2 [with object] Damage or destroy (someone’s reputation) by speaking badly of them: she won’t thank you for blackening her husband’s name...
- How much is this further blackening the reputation of the media?
- A Yorkshire historian is calling on the Queen to help to clear Richard III of the double child murder which has blackened his reputation for more than 500 years.
- Yet on so little they had blackened a man's reputation.
Synonyms
sully, tarnish, blot, besmirch, drag through the mud/mire, stain, taint, smear, smudge, befoul, soil, contaminate, pollute, disgrace, dishonour, bring discredit to, injure, damage, spoil;
slander, defame, traduce
literary besmear, smirch
archaic spot, breathe on
