blackened

Everyday

1. Blackened means made black or dark, for example by fire, smoke or dirt. tree →
2. (cooking) Blackened food has been cooked in a very hot pan with spices so the outside turns dark. tree →
3. To blacken someone's name is to damage their reputation by saying bad things about them; blackened is its past form. tree →

In the lessons

In stories blackened walls or trees tell the reader there has been a fire. In history lessons, blackened buildings come from coal smoke in old cities. In cooking it is a style of Cajun food from Louisiana, USA. Phrases: blackened by smoke, blackened fish, blacken someone's name.

Examples

• The fire left the walls blackened and burnt. tree →
• Blackened trees stood on the hillside after the bushfire. tree →
• The chimney sweep's face was blackened with soot. tree →
• Dad cooked blackened chicken with spicy seasoning. tree →
• Rotten bananas have blackened skins. tree →
• Lies blackened the poor man's good name. tree →
• The old church walls were blackened by years of coal smoke. tree →
• Slowly, very slowly, they blackened and turned to ashes. tree →

Note

Blacken + -ed = blackened. A «blackened» name is figurative: it means a bad reputation, not black paint.