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
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
The somber crowd created a memorial and demanded ICE leave Minnesota, echoing the outrage that followed George Floyd’s death.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Assisted by the low, somber strings of Oliver Coates’ score and the clean, crisp brightness of Judith Kaufmann’s lensing, Volpe directs with much the same simplicity and moderation, toward a pitch-perfect ending of wholly disarming terseness and economy.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
The Seattle Seahawks were NFC Champions after defeating the Rams, and Stafford and his teammates went back to Los Angeles late on what was likely a somber flight.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
After evening fell, a somber, sorrowful crowd in the hundreds kept a vigil by the memorial.
—Jack Brook, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Assisted by the low, somber strings of Oliver Coates’ score and the clean, crisp brightness of Judith Kaufmann’s lensing, Volpe directs with much the same simplicity and moderation, toward a pitch-perfect ending of wholly disarming terseness and economy.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
The Seattle Seahawks were NFC Champions after defeating the Rams, and Stafford and his teammates went back to Los Angeles late on what was likely a somber flight.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
After evening fell, a somber, sorrowful crowd in the hundreds kept a vigil by the memorial.
—Jack Brook, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somber. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
