variants
or sombre
1
: so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
2
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
Synonyms
Examples of somber in a Sentence
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.
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
On a more somber note, the site features a memorial to USAir Flight 1016, which crashed into a private home while trying to land at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 1994, resulting in the deaths of 37 passengers, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2024
The mood at the graduation was somber as his family received his diploma on his behalf.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
The events in Normandy on Thursday were somber, taking place among more than 9,000 tombstones of American veterans.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 6 June 2024
While one loudly sang hymns to a cut-out of Prime Minister Modi in front of TV cameras, the mood was relatively somber.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for somber 
Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2024
The mood at the graduation was somber as his family received his diploma on his behalf.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2024
The events in Normandy on Thursday were somber, taking place among more than 9,000 tombstones of American veterans.
—Justin Gomez, ABC News, 6 June 2024
While one loudly sang hymns to a cut-out of Prime Minister Modi in front of TV cameras, the mood was relatively somber.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for somber
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'somber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near somber
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somber. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
somber
adjective
som·ber
variants
or sombre
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
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