sombrero

noun

som·​bre·​ro səm-ˈbrer-(ˌ)ō 

säm-

plural sombreros

: an often high-crowned hat of felt or straw with a very wide brim worn especially in the Southwest and Mexico

Illustration of sombrero

Examples of sombrero in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sombrero flick The sombrero flick means different things to different people. —Stuart James, New York Times, 21 June 2026

During the opening match of the World Cup last week, some Mexico fans were seen tossing sombreros in delight as their team defeated the Republic of South Africa 2-0, but the hats might come in handy for the rest of the tournament. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 18 June 2026

The tournament has been beset with fears over seat pricing and turnout, but the Azteca stadium was full and in carnival mode, with beer and paper sombreros raining from the stands. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 June 2026

Spectators proudly donned luchador masks, sombreros and Mexican flags. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from sombra shade

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sombrero

• bolero
• bracero
• estero
• herero
• montero
• nonzero
• potrero
• primero
• prospero
• romero
• vaquero
• wheelbarrow

Kids Definition

sombrero

noun

som·​bre·​ro səm-ˈbre(ə)r-ō 

säm-

plural sombreros

: a tall hat with a very wide brim worn especially in the Southwest and Mexico

Etymology

from Spanish sombrero "a wide-brimmed hat," from sombra "shade"