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

  • Uniforms and afternoon toilettes add their tart hues to the sombrer garb of the male civilian.

  • Heaven knows it is a sombre one, and it goes on getting sombrer and sombrer!

    Much Darker Days | Andrew Lang (AKA A. Huge Longway)
  • La splendeur de la floraison de vie s'teint dans le sang, pour en renatre, pour y sombrer encore.

  • Then, on learning of his father's death, he had put on other things, of sombrer hue.