tenebrous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenebrous
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word tenebrōsus. See Tenebrae, -ous
Explanation
Tenebrous means dark and shadowy. Your big, spooky house with its long, tenebrous passageways and dark corners would be a perfect place to have a Halloween party. The adjective tenebrous is a perfect way to describe something that's dark and creepy, like a weirdly shadowed room in a castle or a gloomy cave. You can also use tenebrous to talk about things that are figuratively dark, or obscure, like a tenebrous deal made between a city's mayor and the Mafia. The Latin root word, tenebrosus, simply means "darkness."
Vocabulary lists containing tenebrous
Heart of Darkness
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I'm Not So Sure...
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Lights Out: Synonyms for "Dark"
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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.
Antonaci’s tenebrous cinematography forces you to keep an eye on what lurks in the shadows that darken almost every scene, and it’s a thrill.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2021
The shadowing is more tightly contained in Hsin-Hsi Chen’s intricate paper sculptures, whose multi-planar surfaces are covered with tenebrous graphite, charcoal, ink and paint.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2019
As I played, it made me think of all the aquariums I’ve visited, places of mystery and tenebrous beauty more alien than anything sprung from a filmmaker’s imagination.
From Time ● Aug. 2, 2016
She cannot persuade Felicia to take off her nightgown, to allow light in the tenebrous house.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
