blacken
Translation
to blacken
Examples
The smoke blackened the walls of the house.
The smoke blackened the walls of the house.
He tried to blacken her name with lies.
He tried to blacken her name with lies.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to make (sth.) black The smoke blackened the walls.
((sb.'s name/reputation)) to damage (sb.'s) reputation They tried to blacken his name.
Similar Words
Synonyms: darken, char; (figurative) slander, defame; Antonyms: whiten, lighten; praise
Etymology
From 'black' plus the verbal suffix '-en', meaning 'to make or become'.
Memory Tips
Think of something becoming black, like toast left in a toaster, or someone's reputation being 'darkened' by rumours.