somber

adjective

som·​ber ˈsäm-bər How to pronounce somber (audio)
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

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The work’s third movement offers an intriguing pizzicato section, as well moments of discordant — though not somber — unease. Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025 On Wednesday, hundreds prayed, wept and held one another at a prayer service, among the first of many somber gatherings to come in the weeks ahead. Nadia Lathan, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025 Both the original Godzilla film—produced in Japan less than a decade after Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and the 1956 version released in the States (with a performance by the actor Raymond Burr spliced in for American audiences) are somber and even daring for the time. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025 Live 00:00 06:12 06:12 Officials give timeline of response efforts as floods impacted Texas 06:12 Kerrville Police Community Services Officer Chief Jonathan Lamb painted a somber picture of how the morning of July 4 unfolded as floods took over Hunt, when most residents were asleep. Nbc News, NBC news, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for somber

Word History

Etymology

French sombre

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of somber was in 1760

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Cite this Entry

“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somber. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

somber

adjective
som·​ber
variants or sombre
1
: so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
2
3
: dull or dark colored
somberly adverb
somberness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on somber

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