1
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the diner's dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
in Victorian times, people who could affect particularly lugubrious expressions were hired to march in funeral processions as professional mourners
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lugubrious
In one lugubrious sequence in which various members of Willie’s children’s generation take part in a pickleball tournament, the young men attempt to trash-talk one another.
—
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2025
Jesus and Mahavira: lanky, lugubrious men, asking me to choose between them.
—Tishani Doshi, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Despite its lugubrious atmosphere, the characters’ problems could now be cleared up with some penicillin and, say, a book club.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The locker room was far from lugubrious following an indicting 114-98 loss Tuesday to the weary and mediocre Miami Heat.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2025
Jesus and Mahavira: lanky, lugubrious men, asking me to choose between them.
—Tishani Doshi, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Despite its lugubrious atmosphere, the characters’ problems could now be cleared up with some penicillin and, say, a book club.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The locker room was far from lugubrious following an indicting 114-98 loss Tuesday to the weary and mediocre Miami Heat.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lugubrious
Adjective
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According to the tabloid site, the couple seemed more somber and tense than usual.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Sep. 2025
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The mood on the ice and in the dressing room was somber Thursday when Barkov crumbled to the ice following a noncontact drill and had to be helped off the ice by two team staff members.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The atmosphere at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona, is anything but mournful.—
Amanda Castro
Mandy Taheri
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
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So mournful the distant owl in Black Brooks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These days, things are pretty bleak at the old mall, which has many vacancies, is startlingly empty of shoppers and appears slated for redevelopment.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Given that such advances are what fuel economic growth and well-being, the future prospects for our economy — and our country in general — become far more bleak.—
Sheldon Jacobson,
Twin Cities,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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In the paper, the authors said that education, prevention strategies and policies aiming to reduce soft drink consumption are urgently required to mitigate depressive symptoms.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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The next seven months are a gray, depressive blur.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Copeland’s mother, Maria Copeland, posted about her daughter’s funeral arrangements on Facebook.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
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The boy was identified as Jeremiah Gonzalez on the page, which his family started to help with funeral costs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His 300th was in a depressing environment — at an empty stadium, in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader in 2020.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
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The revelation is as depressing as a leverage penalty.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This isn't the first time the internet has been left heartbroken when a dog didn't want to play.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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My newlywed wife was heartbroken.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lugubrious. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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