Spanish Conversation · Level 165
30 words
Spanish word
oscurecer
Pronunciation
IPA/oskuɾeˈθeɾ/
Meaning
- verbget dark
Example
Al atardecer, el cielo se oscurece rápidamente.
At dusk, the sky gets dark quickly.
More examples
Para dormir, oscurecer la habitación ayuda.
To sleep, darkening the room helps.
Core concept
Object or scene growing harder to see as light fades.
Common phrases
oscurecer la habitación
darkening the room
la tarde se oscurece
evening darkening
oscurecer la pantalla
darkening the screen
Similar words
apagar: Switch off a light or extinguish a flame.
anochecer: Progress into nightfall when the sun goes down.
atardecer: Move into dusk during the late afternoon.
nublar: Reduce sky brightness when clouds gather.
Definition in Spanish
Perder luz o claridad; se usa literalmente cuando algo se vuelve oscuro y figuradamente cuando se hace menos comprensible.
Word origin
From Latin obscurare (obscurus 'dark' + -are), related to English obscure, with Spanish -ecer signaling a change of state.
Usage tips
- Looks like English obscure, but expect oscurecer often as an intransitive change of state (se oscurece) for light fading, though it can also mean 'make less clear' transitively.