blackening
present participle ofblacken
blacken
verb[IorTusually passive]
uk/ˈblæk.ən/us/ˈblæk.ən/blackenverb[I or T usually passive](BECOME/MAKE BLACK)
tobecomeblackor to make somethingbecomeblack, forexamplebecause ofdirtorsmoke:
Thefoldsof thecurtainswere blackenedwithdirt.
Thebuildingswere blackenedbyexplosions.
Copperpotsdangleover a blackenedhearth.
Theskysuddenlyblackened.
to make fire or damage with fire
- burnThe fire was still burning after 24 hours.
- burn (fuel)The car burns biofuel.
- burnShe burned his diaries to stop the information from becoming public.
- blazeBush fires blazed across the county.
- smoulderUKThe fire smouldered and soon went out.
- scorchThe sun had scorched the grass and turned it brown.
to makefoodblackon theoutsidebycookingit in a veryhotpan, usually aftercoveringit inoilorbutterandherbsorspices, or tobecomeblackin this way:
The blackenedcatfishistoppedwithmushroomsandservedoverspinach.
Mygirlfriendorderedthe blackenedprawns.
Leave thepanon a highheatso that thechickenblackens.
- Theearthalong theriverbankis blackened by thousands ofyearsofcookingfires.
- Theimagesshowlungsblackened fromcigarettesmoking.
- Thewirescaughtfireand blackened thewall.
- During thisprocessthepaprikacaramelizesand blackens.
- Wewelcomedhim with one of thebestsummermeals, a blackenedsteaksalad.
- Blackenedfishtacos: threetacosstuffedwith blackened whitefish,rice,cheese, andspicysalsa.
- I wasn'tsurehow they go about blackening thefood, so I didn'torderit.
Making things dirty & untidy
- blacken
- blot
- clutter
- contaminate
- defile
- dirty
- disarrange
- mark
- mess
- mix
- mixsomeone/somethingup
- muddle
- muddlesomethingup
- muss
- pollute
- polluter
- recontaminate
- soil
- stain
- tarnish
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preparing food using heat
Cookery terms
blackenverb[I or T usually passive](SPOIL)
blackensomeone'sname/image/reputation
to make someone have abadreputation:
Thefinancialcrashblackened theimageofbankers.
Heaccusedpoliticiansof "blackening thereputation" ofwarveterans.
Damaging reputation
- anti-defamation
- aspersion
- besmirch
- black mark
- blacken
- blot
- demonize
- dog
- dragsomeone'sname through the mire/mudidiom
- give a dog a bad nameidiom
- hurl/throw/sling mud atsomeoneidiom
- self-immolation
- show someone in a bad lightidiom
- slander
- slanderer
- slanderous
- slur
- smear
- stab
- stain
Examplesofblackening
blackening
In English, many past and present participles of verbs can be used as adjectives. Some of these examples may show the adjective use.
But in the converse case of chromatic test fields, susceptibility toblackeninghas been reported to vary with wavelength.
From theCambridge English Corpus
He talked aboutblackeningthe reputation of this country.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That article seemed to smack of the same sort of thing, hushing this up,blackeningthese men and getting rid of this awkward situation.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
He cannot help their case, but he takes a delight inblackeningthe faces of his own countrymen.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We have ablackeningpicture which must cause the gravest anxiety.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We recognise the difficulties caused, and theblackeningof the countryside which spoils the appearance of it for at least a short period.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Yet this calculated lieblackeningthis man's character has been used on three occasions in correspondence with me to justify a refusal to reinstate him.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Tar also damages the mouth by rotting andblackeningteeth, damaging gums, and desensitizing taste buds.
From
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Also, during normal operation of such lamps, tungsten boils off the surface of the filament and condenses on the bulb glass,blackeningit.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.The researchers did this by temporarilyblackeningthe head colour of red males and mating them with red and black-headed females.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.When exposed to air, radium reacts violently with it, forming radium nitride, which causesblackeningof this white metal.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Though the floor of the container was damaged, there was noblackeningor pitting of it.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.It was suggested that the decomposition of organic matter (carbon) in the mineral was responsible for itsblackeningupon heating.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.He also reported, among the old women,blackeningthe body with a kind of earth which gives a lustre like black lead.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.Room temperatureblackeningfor stainless steel occurs via auto-catalytic reaction of copper-selenide depositing on the stainless steel surface.
FromThis example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
- circa
- circadian
- circadian clock
- circadian rhythm
- circinate
- circle
- circled
- circlet
- circle the/your wagons
- circle-the-your-wagons
- circling
- circuit
- circuit board
- circuit-board
- circuit breaker
- circuit-breaker
- circuit court
- circuit-court
- Circuit Court of Appeals
- circuit-court-of-appeals
- circuit diagram
- circuit-diagram
- circuit judge
- circuit-judge
- circuit layout