blacken

Verb

Verb Forms: blackened, blackening, blackens

• To make or become black; to defame or disgrace.
• make or become black
  • "The smoke blackened the ceiling"
  • "The ceiling blackened"
• burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
  • "The cook blackened the chicken breast"
• To cause to be or become black.
• To become black.
• To make dirty.
• To defame or sully.
• To cook (meat or fish) by coating with pepper, etc., and quickly searing in a hot pan.

Examples

• A poorly placed word can BLACKEN your score and give your opponent an advantage.
• The sky blackened as the storm clouds rolled in.

Synonyms

black, char, melanise, melanize, nigrify, scorch, sear, defame, denigrate, dirty, soil, sully, taint, tarnish

Antonyms

whiten