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oscurecer

to darken

verb ohs-koo-reh-SEHR Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Colors

Origin: From Latin obscurare.

Also means

to grow dark

Usage Note

Oscurecer can be transitive ('to make dark') or intransitive/reflexive (oscurecerse, 'to become dark'). The impersonal oscurece ('it gets dark') is used for nightfall, parallel to anochecer. An alternate spelling obscurecer exists but oscurecer is now standard across the Spanish-speaking world. The stem vowel undergoes an -zc- insertion in some conjugations: oscurezco.

Examples

"Las nubes oscurecen el cielo."

Natural Translation

The clouds are darkening the sky.

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