Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

darken someone's door

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.86 in modern English

Syllables: dark-en -some-one's -door
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To arrive at someone's residence or location, especially as an unexpected visitor.

Example Sentences

""I'll tell you, Peter," said I, "were I my lord, and a friend or kinsman of mine should leave the town while the court was sitting, that kinsman, or be he what he liked, should never darken my door again.""
"He promised the poor His heaven, He loved and lived with the poor; He said that the rich man's shadow Should never darken His door."
"[T]he squire ain't sociable an' the neighbors never darken his door."
"Luckily, I'd scored some good-paying clients in the past two months along with the usual losers who darken my door and waste my time."

Etymology

Probably from the observation that one's shadow falling upon a door whilst standing at it causes it to appear darkened. Alternatively, possibly derived from an old sense of darken meaning "to lie in wait, loiter, lurk".

Inflected Forms

darkens someone's door (present, singular) darkening someone's door (participle, present) darkened someone's door (participle, past) darkened someone's door (past) darken someone's doorstep (alternative) darken someone's doorway (alternative)

Questions

What does darken someone's door mean?: To arrive at someone's residence or location, especially as an unexpected visitor.
Where does darken someone's door come from?: Probably from the observation that one's shadow falling upon a door whilst standing at it causes it to appear darkened. Alternatively, possibly derived from an old sense of darken meaning "to lie in wait, loiter, lurk".

How to pronounce darken someone's door

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