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
For all the highs that Young Thug’s performance delivered, there comes one somber realization.
—Mark P. Braboy, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025
There are places where 28 Years Later is gorgeously somber, echoing the desolate lyricism of the first movie.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 June 2025
Future handles chorus duties on the somber track, which finds the trio calming their mothers’ worries, assuring them at their turbulent upbringings prepared them for the callousness of life.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 June 2025
The castle’s vivid red-and-yellow color pattern — and its flashy clock tower — endow Pena with a much more playful air than the somber castles found elsewhere in Europe.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
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.
Mark P. Braboy, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025
There are places where 28 Years Later is gorgeously somber, echoing the desolate lyricism of the first movie.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 June 2025
Future handles chorus duties on the somber track, which finds the trio calming their mothers’ worries, assuring them at their turbulent upbringings prepared them for the callousness of life.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 June 2025
The castle’s vivid red-and-yellow color pattern — and its flashy clock tower — endow Pena with a much more playful air than the somber castles found elsewhere in Europe.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 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 30 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share