blacken
verb
1 blacken
Make or become black:
— The smoke blackened the ceiling.
— The ceiling blackened.
synonyms: black, melanise, melanize.
Roget 431:
be black
etc.
adj.;
render black
etc.
adj..
blacken,
infuscate†,
denigrate;
blot,
blotch;
smutch†;
smirch;
darken
etc.
421.
black,
sable,
swarthy,
somber,
dark,
inky,
ebony,
ebon,
atramentous†,
jetty;
coal-black,
jet-black;
fuliginous†,
pitchy,
sooty,
swart,
dusky,
dingy,
murky,
Ethiopic;
low-toned,
low in tone;
of the deepest dye.
black as jet
etc.
n.,
black as my hat,
black as a shoe,
black as a tinker's pot,
black as November,
black as thunder,
black as midnight;
nocturnal
etc.
(dark)
421;
nigrescent†;
gray
etc.
432;
obscure
etc.
421.
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Roget 934:
detract,
derogate,
decry,
deprecate,
depreciate,
disparage;
run down,
cry down;
backcap [U.S.];
belittle;
sneer at
etc.
(contempt)
930;
criticize,
pull to pieces,
pick a hole in one's coat,
asperse,
cast aspersions,
blow upon,
bespatter,
blacken,
vilify,
vilipend†;
avile†;
give a dog a bad name,
brand,
malign;
muckrake;
backbite,
libel,
lampoon,
traduce,
slander,
defame,
calumniate,
bear false witness against;
speak ill of behind one's back.
fling dirt
etc.
(disrespect)
929;
anathematize
etc.
932;
dip the pen in gall,
view in a bad light.
impugn
(disparage the motives of);
assail,
attack
etc.
716;
oppose
etc.
708;
denounce,
accuse
etc.
938.
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Dutch: zwartmaken
2 blacken
Burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color:
— The cook blackened the chicken breast.
synonyms: char, scorch, sear.
Moby thesaurus: abuse, asperse, attaint, bark at, becloud, bedarken, bedaub, bedim, begloom, begrime, berate, besmear, besmirch, besmoke, besmutch, besoil, bespatter, bestain, betongue, black, black out, blackwash, block the light, blot, blot out, blotch, blow upon, blur, brand, brown, call names, cast a shadow, cast aspersions on, censure, charcoal, cloud, cloud over, cork, darken, darken over, daub, defame, defile, denigrate, dim, dim out, dinge, dirty, disapprove, discolor, discredit, disparage, ebonize, eclipse, encloud, encompass with shadow, engage in personalities, execrate, expose, expose to infamy, fulminate against, gibbet, gloom, hang in effigy, heap dirt upon, ink, jaw, libel, load with reproaches, malign, mark, melanize, muckrake, murk, nigrify, obfuscate, obnubilate, obscure, obumbrate, occult, occultate, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, oversmoke, pillory, rag, rail at, rate, rave against, reprimand, revile, scorch, sear, shade, shadow, singe, slander, slubber, slur, smear, smirch, smoke, smouch, smudge, smut, smutch, soil, somber, soot, spot, stain, stigmatize, sully, taint, tarnish, throw mud at, thunder against, tongue-lash, traduce, vilify, vituperate, yell at, yelp at ... show more.
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