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
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”)
Explanation
Somber is used to describe situations, facial expressions, or moods that are dark, gloomy, or depressing. Funerals are usually somber affairs. Somber is a slightly formal word. If you have bad or super important news, deliver it in a somber manner otherwise people won’t understand how serious you are. Bad news can put a person in a somber mood. The word somber is derived from the Latin sub umbrā, "under a shadow," and it can also describe dull colors, like brown, grey, or black.
Vocabulary lists containing somber
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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List 1
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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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.
Appeared in the December 18, 2025, print edition as 'A Somber New Home'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
Somber and remorseful, his Beckett in formal attire explains that he has accepted the award so that he can give the money away.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 9, 2024
Somber because the last of the Greatest Generation will soon no longer be with us.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2024
Somber throughout the two-hour ceremony, he looked like a man feeling the weight of the crown — in his case, an imperial one set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls.
From New York Times • May 6, 2023
Somber forest crept down to the skirts of it, and across the glistening water black hills ran up into the evening sky, with the blink of towering snow to the north of them.
From Vane of the Timberlands by Bindloss, Harold
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.
