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Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of solemn are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, sober, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When is it sensible to use earnest instead of solemn?

While the synonyms earnest and solemn are close in meaning, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When might grave be a better fit than solemn?

While in some cases nearly identical to solemn, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When would sedate be a good substitute for solemn?

Although the words sedate and solemn have much in common, sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

Where would serious be a reasonable alternative to solemn?

In some situations, the words serious and solemn are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

In what contexts can sober take the place of solemn?

The words sober and solemn can be used in similar contexts, but sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When could staid be used to replace solemn?

The words staid and solemn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

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 solemn Eugene, serious and somewhat solemn, had been listening with bemusement. Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 Its fun-first identity is part of the draw in a market flooded with solemn storytelling and dusty barrels. Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 Moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened the show with a solemn acknowledgment of the disaster, urging viewers in affected areas to stay safe and tune in for information on how to help. Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025 And as for Hugh Grant’s floppy-haired Edward Ferrars and Alan Rickman’s solemn Colonel Brandon? Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for solemn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solemn
Adjective
  • The far more imposing limit is MLS’s global standing.
    Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
  • And on the other hand, in a world where most of their top arms remain healthy and effective, the Dodgers could possess one of the most imposing starting pitching staffs in recent memory.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • And finally, a tree with serious diseases or pests that might infect the rest of the neighborhood should be removed as soon as possible.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
  • Almeida had a bloodied hand at the finish but wasn’t showing visible signs of a serious injury.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The work’s third movement offers an intriguing pizzicato section, as well moments of discordant — though not somber — unease.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025
  • Both the original Godzilla film—produced in Japan less than a decade after Hiroshima and Nagasaki—and the 1956 version released in the States (with a performance by the actor Raymond Burr spliced in for American audiences) are somber and even daring for the time.
    Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bruce Yandle is a distinguished adjunct fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and former executive director of the Federal Trade Commission.
    Bruce Yandle, Twin Cities, 10 July 2025
  • Only the day before, the distinguished British medical journal the Lancet published a study warning about the potential consequences now looming.
    Butch Meily, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • However, the slow collision of Ray’s two worlds unfolds with the stern casualness of two business acquaintances meeting for dinner.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 July 2025
  • Bill Pogue’s family and friends knew him as a thoughtful, deeply sensitive man, despite his reputation as a gruff, stern, wildlife officer.
    Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 17 July 2025
Adjective
  • The reversal is notable because this traditionally bleak indicator had been trending more positively under Trump's second term—until now.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • Restaurants were closed, staff were furloughed, and the broad outlook on the hospitality industry’s future was, in a word, bleak.
    Lela London, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • Of course there's the late, great Christopher Reeve, who delivers the dual portrayal (physically awkward nerd and calmly dignified heroism) all others continue to be judged by.
    Will Harris, EW.com, 11 July 2025
  • What’s more, the Senate used to be a more dignified, less partisan place — especially when compared with the fractious House.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Real estate deals made up some of those transactions — closings, earnest fund refunds, construction loans payouts, fees to agents and to title companies, all manned by professionals who often work outside regular office hours.
    Tom Groenfeldt, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
  • That same earnest vulnerability people (and Love Islanders) can’t always handle is what makes falling in love so electric and profound.
    Jenna Ryu, SELF, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Solemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemn. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

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