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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lugubrious
On occasion, especially as the film builds to its lugubrious finale, Mielants tries other tricks, simulating long tracking shots that seem to glide through the school and then out onto the grounds.
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Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
The legacy relaunch — originally titled Superman: Legacy when the project was announced in 2023 — represents a stark departure from writer-director Zack Snyder’s comparatively lugubrious, Zod-killing superhero deconstruction Man of Steel (2013).
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Chris Lee,
Vulture,
14 July 2025
Some movie-goers love that sort of lugubrious, meditative filmmaking, some not so much, but either way — and to paraphrase Carly Simon — nobody does it better.
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Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
28 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
The legacy relaunch — originally titled Superman: Legacy when the project was announced in 2023 — represents a stark departure from writer-director Zack Snyder’s comparatively lugubrious, Zod-killing superhero deconstruction Man of Steel (2013).
—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
14 July 2025
Some movie-goers love that sort of lugubrious, meditative filmmaking, some not so much, but either way — and to paraphrase Carly Simon — nobody does it better.
—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
28 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lugubrious
Adjective
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The film breathes in a dynamic way, the last few beats taking a startling turn toward a somber wistfulness.
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The hilltop De Smet Cemetery strikes a somber note.
Adjective
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The years have only intensified Zimmerman’s mournful, hushed vocal performance, and Dream Me a Dream often plays out like a bedtime story spun by a beloved elder, accompanied by soft strings, shakers, and even a synth or two.
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The drama can stir up nostalgia and mournful emotions, and feels personal to many.
Adjective
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The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
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Cher’s court documents paint a bleak picture of how Allman, 49, allegedly blows through his $120,000 annual trust distributions.
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.
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Adjective
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Two-thirds of respondents afflicted with alpha-gal reported anxiety or depressive disorders in a 2025 University of Missouri survey.
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There are four basic types of the disorder, which are characterized by periods of elation and hyperactivity known as manic episodes, which are then followed by depressive stages where the patient experiences feelings of sadness and depression.
Adjective
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Relatives of a woman discovered dead by her son with her neck slashed in the lobby of her Brooklyn apartment building are appealing to the public for help with funeral expenses.
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The fundraiser ultimately raised more than $88,000 AUD (about $62,000 USD) to cover funeral expenses, household bills and Axel's future needs.
Adjective
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Tourism and city officials say that marketplace channels festival foot traffic directly to Black entrepreneurs and helps keep dollars circulating in local neighborhoods long after the stages go dark.
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Jason kept the look casual in a light blue graphic T-shirt, white shorts, a baseball cap and dark sunglasses.
Adjective
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The courtroom was packed with heartbroken supporters wanting justice for Jor'Dynn as each woman stood silent in front of the judge.
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There is nothing more evocative of a pure Love Island experience than a heartbroken rage split in costume.
Cite this Entry
“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lugubrious. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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