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 incident caused a somber scene near home plate, as Yankees teammates, coaches and personnel huddled around the always-affable 26-year-old before an ambulance took him off the field and to a nearby hospital.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
The somber financial picture leaves the city caught between cutting services to the public and finding a way to raise money.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang was more somber than usual on the AI juggernaut’s conference call following its blockbuster earnings, according to CNBC’s Kristina Partsinevelos , who has been analyzing all the action in the cult stock for the last 24 hours.
—John Melloy, CNBC, 29 May 2025
Therefore, either all awards are abolished, or every award should be celebrated, especially when the subject matter is delicate or somber.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
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Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
The somber financial picture leaves the city caught between cutting services to the public and finding a way to raise money.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang was more somber than usual on the AI juggernaut’s conference call following its blockbuster earnings, according to CNBC’s Kristina Partsinevelos , who has been analyzing all the action in the cult stock for the last 24 hours.
—John Melloy, CNBC, 29 May 2025
Therefore, either all awards are abolished, or every award should be celebrated, especially when the subject matter is delicate or somber.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somber. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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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