somber

[ som-ber ]
See synonyms for somber on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted: a somber passageway.

  2. dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color: a somber dress.

  1. gloomy, depressing, or dismal: a somber mood.

  2. extremely serious; grave: a somber expression on his face.

Origin of somber

1
First recorded in 1750–60; from French, Middle French sombre, probably noun derivative of sombrer (unrecorded) “to make shady,” from Vulgar Latin subumbrāre (unrecorded), from Latin sub- sub- + umbrāre “to cast a shadow” (derivative of umbra “shade, shadow”)
  • Also especially British, som·bre .

Other words for somber

Opposites for somber

Other words from somber

  • som·ber·ly, adverb
  • som·ber·ness, noun
  • un·som·ber, adjective
  • un·som·ber·ly, adverb
  • un·som·ber·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use somber in a sentence

  • There is something primitive and prehistoric about it—elemental in its somberness and in its grandeur.

  • A black cape was brought out and thrown about his shoulders, which seemed to fit exactly into the somberness of the picture.

  • The somberness of Lincoln's childhood was brightened by the memory of his mother.

    Lincoln, the Politician | T. Aaron Levy
  • She loved gayety and brightness, and her whole life was clothed with somberness.

    Throckmorton | Molly Elliot Seawell
  • The occasional rolling thunder of a cannon deepened the somberness of the scene.

    The Sword of Antietam | Joseph A. Altsheler