Synonym Chooser

How is the word saturnine different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of saturnine are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

When is crabbed a more appropriate choice than saturnine?

The synonyms crabbed and saturnine are sometimes interchangeable, but crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

In what contexts can gloomy take the place of saturnine?

The words gloomy and saturnine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

When can glum be used instead of saturnine?

While the synonyms glum and saturnine are close in meaning, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

How do morose and glum relate to one another, in the sense of saturnine?

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When could sulky be used to replace saturnine?

In some situations, the words sulky and saturnine are roughly equivalent. However, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When would sullen be a good substitute for saturnine?

Although the words sullen and saturnine have much in common, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

Where would surly be a reasonable alternative to saturnine?

The words surly and saturnine can be used in similar contexts, but surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of saturnine The mood is too saturnine, the occasional nods to social criticism too stilted. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturnine
Adjective
  • After running a somber ad in the 2024 Super Bowl aimed at fighting hate and bigotry, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism tapped Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady in a spot that had the celebrities squaring off against one another, ticking off reasons why people don’t like one another.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The mood within Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, where the awards took place, was relatively somber with each win for the Netflix musical.
    Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Carotenoids may offer some protection against depressive symptoms, but the study's authors caution that a causal relationship (when one variable causes the other to change) was not established.
    Jennifer Lefton, MS, RD/N, CNSC, FAND, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Screening for depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts should be part of routine care for people with headaches.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The big picture: New data shows bleak economic conditions in Europe, especially relative to the U.S. The eurozone economy did not grow at all in the final months of 2024.
    Courtenay Brown, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
  • New national test scores show a bleak picture of American education in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Kayla Jimenez, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For a small minority, however, fire offers something different and darker.
    Laura Paddison, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
  • But on Monday, just two days after the agency's website went dark and amid days of speculation about its future, the USAID headquarters in Washington had been shut down and employees had been instructed not to return to work, according to reports from the BBC, The Associated Press and Reuters.
    Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • But for people who are older and severely lonely, having an appointment to see their doctor might be their only social interaction that day.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
  • In a recent Harvard University study, every fifth American reported feeling lonely, and that number is even higher among young adults and seniors.
    John Hewko, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Green made do with a slightly depressing cafeteria lunch—a cheese-and-pickle sandwich and a shiny red apple—and some chitchat about the weather.
    Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Beyond that, the shadow of Teresa’s legal woes hung over the season, making for a depressing watch.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Although Mars is known for being a dry and desolate desert, its landscape hasn’t always been so hostile.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
  • At first glance, the entire landscape looked grim and desolate.
    M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Get the Recipe Funeral Sandwiches Despite the morbid name, these snack sandwiches are a staple at more occasions than just Southern funerals.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Comments Released in 2022, The Menu is a satirical thriller about the fine dining scene that ends on a deeply morbid (and decidedly non-appetizing) note.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025

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Thesaurus Entries Near saturnine

Cite this Entry

“Saturnine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturnine. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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