cast a pall over (something)

cast a pall over (something)

To cause something to become sad or somber; to darken or tarnish something. The headmaster's sudden death really cast a pall over graduation. The economic crash was devastating, casting a pall over the entire world for years. A: "Applications are way down." B: "It's official, then—the coaching scandal has cast a pall over the whole university."

See also: cast, over, pall

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