funereal
Americanadjective
-
of or suitable for a funeral.
-
mournful; gloomy; dismal.
a funereal aloofness that was quite chilling.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of funereal
1715–25; < Latin fūnere(us) of, belonging to a funeral + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Funereal describes the mood in a locker room after an overtime loss in a championship game — sad, serious and gloomy, as if you were at a funeral. The word funereal comes from the Latin funus which means, not surprisingly, "funeral." It is often figuratively used to describe solemn or dismal things as well as something that is related to a burial ceremony. Funereal music is gloomy and often played at a slow pace. If you don't want to seem overly serious, you might want to wear a navy blue suit to your job interview rather than funereal black.
Vocabulary lists containing funereal
Pre-AP Theatre
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Billy Budd
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Each Little Bird That Sings
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You can futz with the bread, you can gild the cheese, but if the core is bland or watery or vaguely funereal, the whole enterprise collapses.
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025
These, however, also feel funereal, like death masks taken after a long-suffering friend has been freed finally from corporeal struggles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
The musicians wore white, flower-print jackets and black shirts as they played funereal tunes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025
The stunning call — which some attendees described as funereal — added to the growing tension between the newsroom and Mr. Lewis, who has set about remaking The Post since he started in January.
From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2024
For all their beauty there was something sombre about them, funereal; they were like the wreaths, stiff and artificial, that you see beneath glass cases in a foreign churchyard.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
