somber
adjective
\
Definition of somber
1 : so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
3 : of a dull or heavy cast or shade : dark colored
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for somber
Synonyms
black, bleak, cheerless, chill, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, sullen, sunless, wretched
Antonyms
bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of somber in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike later iterations of this premise (The Hunger Games, for example), Battle Royale isn’t especially somber. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "The First Purge’s release makes this a good weekend to watch Battle Royale on Netflix," 6 July 2018 Be Joyful Respecting a place’s cultural heritage doesn’t mean being somber all the time. — Krista Langlois, Outside Online, "Sacred Native American Sites Are Not Your Playgrounds," 5 July 2018 Villarreal on Friday at first was somber during direct questioning by his attorney, Alex Scharff, who had the defendant tell the jury how Estrada went from being his drug supplier to friend and then boyfriend for two to three years. — Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio man accused of stabbing boyfriend sobs after grisly photos shown," 22 June 2018 After hearing the news that Robin Williams died, a friend of Koko's, the highly intelligent gorilla was somber all day. — Lilly Price, USA TODAY, "Koko, the gorilla famous for knowing sign language, dies in her sleep," 21 June 2018 When short outer jackets, or haori, were decorated with such jingoistic imagery, the designs generally were used as the bright lining in an otherwise somber coat. — Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Dressed to kill: War propaganda kimonos on view at the de Young," 11 May 2018 At Archbishop Wood High School, where the victims graduated in 2008, the mood was somber Thursday. — Vinny Vella, Philly.com, "Friends mourn young couple slain in Bucks home," 3 May 2018 The young violinist gained game after playing somber renditions of Venezuela’s national anthem during the 2017 protests. — Washington Post, "The face of bloody protests in Venezuela moves on in NY," 5 Apr. 2018 Bailey said the mood in the postgame locker room was somber. — Elliott Lapin, Houston Chronicle, "Hargrave Falcons' season comes to an end in boys basketball playoffs," 19 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'somber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for somber
somber
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of somber
: very sad and serious
: having a dull or dark color
See the full definition for somber in the English Language Learners Dictionary
somber
adjectiveKids Definition of somber
1 : very sad or serious a somber mood somber news
2 : being dark and gloomy : dull somber colors
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on somber
What made you want to look up somber? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share somber
Resources for somber