somber
Americanadjective
-
gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted.
a somber passageway.
- Antonyms:
- bright
-
dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color.
a somber dress.
-
gloomy, depressing, or dismal.
a somber mood.
- Synonyms:
- melancholy, doleful, mournful, lugubrious
- Antonyms:
- cheerful
-
extremely serious; grave.
a somber expression on his face.
Other Word Forms
- somberly adverb
- somberness noun
- unsomber adjective
- unsomberly adverb
- unsomberness noun
Etymology
Origin of somber
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One year after two of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history erupted just hours apart, survivors commemorated the day in Altadena and Pacific Palisades with a mixture of anger and somber remembrance.
From Los Angeles Times
The short and somber clip starts with a look at some wreckage within the abandoned halls of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters — the home base of the X-Men.
From Los Angeles Times
But the tone is often more satiric than somber, Park highlighting Man-su’s foibles and insecurities.
From Los Angeles Times
It was really foggy that day, really gloomy, and just so somber and tense.
From Los Angeles Times
They ended by singing another familiar, but more somber tune.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
