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tenebrific

adjective

ten·​e·​brif·​ic ˌte-nə-ˈbri-fik How to pronounce tenebrific (audio)
Synonyms of tenebrificnext
1
: gloomy
2
: causing gloom or darkness

Examples of tenebrific in a Sentence

a man unexpectedly emerged from the tenebrific shadows of the cave soldiers who had lived for months in the tenebrific trenches that stretched along the western front

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin tenebrae "darkness" + Latin -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at tenebrae

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tenebrific was in 1785

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenebrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenebrific. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.

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