somber

1 of 2

adjective

som·​ber ˈsäm-bər 

variants or sombre

1

: so shaded as to be dark and gloomy

2

a

: of a serious mien : grave

somber dignitaries

b

: of a dismal or depressing character : melancholy

c

: conveying gloomy suggestions or ideas

3

: of a dull or heavy cast or shade : dark colored

somberly adverb

somberness noun

somberness

2 of 2

noun

som·​ber·​ness

variants or sombreness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being somber

Synonyms of somber

Adjective

• darkened
• dark
• murky

Examples of somber in a Sentence

Adjective

Looking out at his audience, a somber mass of monks, Gregory gave Mary a new identity that would shape her image for fourteen hundred years. —Jonathan Darman, Newsweek, 29 May 2006

This year marks a somber anniversary—it was 150 years ago that humans wiped out the last survivors of this species. A relative of the razorbills and puffins, and about the size of a small goose, the great auk was black-bodied with a white underbelly, and walked erect, like a penguin. —Bill Montevecchi, Natural History, August 1994

The purple darkness was filled with men who lectured and jabbered. Sometimes he could see them gesticulating against the blue and somber sky. —Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, 1895

Her death put us in a somber mood.

The movie is a somber portrait of life on the streets.

He wore a somber suit.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Part of a Lavallette, New Jersey, liquor store was boarded up and a bouquet of flowers was left outside Sunday night, somber reminders of a horrific crash that killed a woman a day earlier. — Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

All parents struggle in some way to adjust to life as empty nesters, but Charlie leaves his mom and dad in a somber, reflective state that casts a heavy pall over an episode that drifts toward the turgid. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

The clubhouse was somewhat somber Friday afternoon, with players still feeling shaken up after witnessing one of the scariest collisions many had ever seen on a baseball field. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Beck’s first album in seven years is a sublime return to the somber folk-rock of career highpoints like 2002’s Sea Change and 2014’s Morning Phase. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French sombre

First Known Use

Adjective

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

somber

adjective

som·​ber

variants or sombre

ˈsäm-bər 

1

: so shaded as to be dark and gloomy

2

: melancholy entry 2 sense 1, grave

a somber mood

3

: dull or dark colored

somberly adverb

somberness noun