blacken

Make it darker

Blacken means to make or become black or dark: Smoke blackened the ceiling, The sky blackened before the storm.

The word extends to reputation—to blacken someone's name is to damage it through slander or accusation: The scandal blackened his reputation for years.

In cooking, blackened refers to a Cajun technique of coating fish or meat with spices and searing it until the exterior chars: blackened catfish.

discolor

stain

Lasting surface discoloration

sootCarbon from incomplete burning
smudgeUnclear dirty mark
grimeIngrained surface dirt

dirty · soil · blotch · spot · blemish · taint · smear · ink · fingerprint · rust

char

burn

Damage by heat

scorchBurn superficially
searBurn the outside
charBurn without destroying

singe · carbonize · incinerate · ash · charcoal · ember · flame · fire · blaze · ignite

defame

slander

Spoken false defamation

libelPrinted defamation
vilifyAttack someone's reputation
smearSpread or defame

besmirch · discredit · malign · denigrate · disparage · tarnish · sully · impugn · traduce · calumniate

cook

sear

Burn the outside

grillCooking surface over fire
charbroilCook over open flame
broilCook with direct heat

roast · barbecue · smoke · caramelize · crisp · toast · flambé · fry · sauté · seasoning

darken

dim

Low in light

shadowLight blocked by object
shadeDarkness from blocked light
eclipseCelestial body blocks another

obscure · shroud · veil · murk · dusk · twilight · nightfall · gloaming · overcast · cloud

blacken

stain

burn

slander

sear

dim

blacken

Opposites

Phrases

Categories

Family