somber

[ som-ber ]
/ ˈsɒm bər /

adjective

gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted: a somber passageway.
dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color: a somber dress.
gloomy, depressing, or dismal: a somber mood.
extremely serious; grave: a somber expression on his face.

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compact
joined or packed together; closely and firmly united; dense; solid.
ready or inclined to fight.
not participating actively.
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Also especially British, som·bre.

Origin of somber

1750–60; < French sombre, Middle French, probably noun derivative of *sombrer to make shady < Vulgar Latin *subumbrāre, equivalent to Latin sub- sub- + umbrāre to cast a shadow, derivative of umbra shade

SYNONYMS FOR somber

1 dusky, murky, sunless.
3 lugubrious, mournful, doleful, melancholy.

ANTONYMS FOR somber

1 bright.
3 cheerful.

OTHER WORDS FROM somber

Words nearby somber

somatotropic, somatotropin, somatotropin release-inhibiting factor, somatotropin-releasing factor, somatotype, somber, sombre, sombrero, sombrous, some, somebody
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for somberness