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assombrir

darken, overshadow

verb ah-som-BREER Rare

Also means

cast a shadow over (mood)

Usage Note

Assombrir combines the prefix a- with sombre ('dark') and can describe either literal darkening of light or a figurative cloud over mood or prospects. The reflexive s'assombrir means 'to grow darker' or 'to cloud over', used commonly of skies and facial expressions. The related adjective is sombre.

Examples

"Les nuages assombrissent le ciel."

Natural Translation

The clouds are darkening the sky.

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