as in depressive
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 five-alarm fire currently stoked by Garrett Graham suggests that what women are really yearning for isn’t a brooding hockey stud with saturnine curls and complicated rage issues but a man who, at his core, seems to like and care about women.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The movie is 40 years old now, and my perception is that more and more people have discovered it, have entered its heady realm of saturnine mystery.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
At the juncture between postwar noir and golden-age melodrama is Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a saturnine elegy to a lost Hollywood of the silent era, when faces and charisma were more desirable than voices or talent.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
The movie is 40 years old now, and my perception is that more and more people have discovered it, have entered its heady realm of saturnine mystery.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
At the juncture between postwar noir and golden-age melodrama is Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a saturnine elegy to a lost Hollywood of the silent era, when faces and charisma were more desirable than voices or talent.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturnine
Adjective
-
According to the Cleveland Clinic, bipolar disorder is marked by periods of mania, along with depressive episodes.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
-
In a 2025 study of 209 adolescents aged 10 to 17 who had a depressive or anxiety disorder, researchers examined iron deficiency and anxiety through brain scans and interviews.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
In Meetings, Merlin sat agitated with a folder of newspaper clippings in his lap, occasionally shedding bleak confetti.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
-
On paper, business over the next few weeks looks bleak.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Adams does not stop for meaning, his early minimalist style causing the words to flow over you whether in somber reflection or the wildness of wild nights that do, indeed, stop for death.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
But the festival began on a more somber note.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the true story behind it is a dark, sad and overall pretty confusing one.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Trudeau embraced the Southern California vibes and wore a green T-shirt with black shorts and a pair of dark sunglasses.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
House is a major character in the New Vegas game; not a lonely guy, Theroux insists, but one perfectly happy being alone with his thoughts.—
The Deadline Team,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
-
KillsEnemy's road to recovery was long and lonely.—
Libby Smith,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
When Aston Villa supporters reflect on the growing stature of their club, many like to compare the euphoria with the dark and depressing times of the recent past.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Following that news, the Fighting Irish decided to decline their bowl game invitation, ending a depressing finish to what had been a great all-around season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The site now a solemn memorial.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Dec. 2025
-
The Constitution vests the executive with the power—and indeed the solemn duty—to repel threats, protect commerce, and secure the nation against those who would do it harm.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The flyer featured a photograph of the 31-year-old singer-songwriter on a desolate small-town street, behind the wheel of a vintage turquoise vehicle.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2026
-
In 1966, the middle of a football pitch was a yawning abyss, a desolate landscape for the ball to gaze down on from its aisle seat at 30,000ft (maybe the ball is listening to a first-gen iPod).—
John Muller,
New York Times,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saturnine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturnine. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
