somber

American  

[som-ber] / ˈsɒm bər /

especially British, sombre

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.

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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

In a new form of protest, many Iranians are dancing, singing and clapping around the graves of slain protesters—in contrast to the traditional, more somber religious ceremonies.

From The Wall Street Journal

That somber thought takes a minute to register.

From Literature

Mr. Garner combed his thinning hair to the side and the twins smirked as they waved to the camera before their dad slightly nudged them from the back and they took on a somber pose.

From Literature

But Mama just said, slow and somber like the wind on a rainy day, “Oh, Ida B.”

From Literature

But the slightly somber man on the other side of our Zoom connection is certainly not as convinced of his own staying power.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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