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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 Only the buzz of Israeli drones overhead filled the solemn silence. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 7 June 2025 The score becomes grand and syrupy whenever there’s a big emotional revelation; characters deliver solemn soliloquies on the orderly beauty of math. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 June 2025 For Roberto Gómez Fernandez, the challenge was for the series not to become a solemn, saintly tribute to the larger-than-life figure their father was. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 The atmosphere inside took a solemn turn as fans filed out of the arena following Leon Draisaitl’s OT power-play goal. Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 5 June 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
  • Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments.
    Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
  • To be sure, there have been positive signs that the revival was working, not least because the Tata’s were prepared to deploy serious capital and effort to back its ambitions.
    Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • For all the highs that Young Thug’s performance delivered, there comes one somber realization.
    Mark P. Braboy, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2025
  • There are places where 28 Years Later is gorgeously somber, echoing the desolate lyricism of the first movie.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • From September 25-28, the Windy City hosts Chicago Gourmet one of the nation’s most distinguished food festivals.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Developers feed their chatbot models on a torrent of material, much of it scraped from the web — everything from distinguished literary works to random babbling — as well as collections holding millions of books, articles, scientific papers and the like, some of it copyrighted.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • However, strikes between the two nations appeared to continue—leading to a stern rebuke from the president on Tuesday morning.
    Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
  • Born in Philadelphia in October 1888, Breen shuttled between jobs in public relations, newspaper journalism, and the U.S. consular service, yet the connecting thread was always his deep, proud, stern Irish Catholicism.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • During that bleak era, Che-Chung Tsai, a researcher at the University of Washington, contacted several companies, seeking experimental drugs for use in an animal study.
    Jon Cohen, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • That said, Google’s latest survey paints a bleak picture.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • First age, then politics Yet, for all that, the rise of the 85-and-up crowd is only part of why McAleer and other local advocates fear that dignified old age is about to become tougher to achieve.
    Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 20 June 2025
  • Daily access must remain safe, simple, and dignified for those who rely on them.
    Bill Schiffmiller, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • The way this plays out is via a series of extremely earnest conversations about feelings, something women tend to be better at than men just given the way they are socialized.
    Rich Juzwiak, Time, 25 June 2025
  • That means energy prices may be volatile until conditions settle down – even as summer vacations start in earnest and a massive heat wave grips the central and eastern parts of the country.
    Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Solemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemn. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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