somber

especially British, som·bre

[som-ber]

adjective

1. gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted.

   a somber passageway.

   Synonyms: sunless, murky, dusky
   Antonyms: bright

2. dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color.

   a somber dress.

3. gloomy, depressing, or dismal.

   a somber mood.

   Synonyms: melancholy, doleful, mournful, lugubrious
   Antonyms: cheerful

4. extremely serious; grave.

   a somber expression on his face.

Other Word Forms

• somberly adverb
• somberness noun
• unsomber adjective
• unsomberly adverb
• unsomberness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of somber¹

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”)

Example Sentences

Late as usual, he dashes to check in for work and is shocked to stumble into a somber funeral.

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It’s a strange idea for a movie that, while lacking such structural niceties as an obvious goal to be met, proves an oddly touching experience, somber yet slightly absurd.

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The movie doesn’t get bogged down in this kind of thing, but it does have a somber air and a looser, more digressive plot than its predecessor.

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Her face was so somber and pale that she might almost be mistaken for a ghost herself.

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“Sometimes you can lie when you want to protect the other side or protect the player,” said James, standing in a cramped and somber visitors’ locker room.

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Related Words

• bleak 
• dark 
• dull 
• earnest 
• funereal 
• gloomy 
• grim 
• melancholy 
• mournful 
• sedate 
• serious 
• sober 
• solemn 
• weighty