variants
or sombre
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
the prison's somber interrogation room has the desired effect of striking fear and despair into the prisoner
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the somber occasion of a dear friend's funeral
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 somber
On a somber night in Las Vegas, a feeling far too common for far too many in this city, Landeskog talked through the pain.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
The somber moment at the Coca-Cola 600 came one day after Kyle's family shared his cause of death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Rain washed out qualifying Saturday, and the gray, overcast sky served as a fitting background for the somber mood enveloping Charlotte Motor Speedway and its 1½-mile track.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Instead, just heartbreak and a somber reminder of the tragic loss that had occurred just days before.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
The somber moment at the Coca-Cola 600 came one day after Kyle's family shared his cause of death.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 May 2026
Rain washed out qualifying Saturday, and the gray, overcast sky served as a fitting background for the somber mood enveloping Charlotte Motor Speedway and its 1½-mile track.
—Steve Reed, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
Instead, just heartbreak and a somber reminder of the tragic loss that had occurred just days before.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somber
Adjective
-
She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For years, radical climate activists have painted a bleak view of the future.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
The bleak, desolate masterpiece from 1989’s Pretty Hate Machine was used to great effect in 1995’s Natural Born Killers, the first film soundtrack produced by Reznor.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the second section presents the diagnosis, then in the footnote to Howl Ginsberg writes a prescription, because if we’re oppressed by a dark faith then the only antidote is a different one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Villains could hide in the giant banyan tree or lurk in the spookily dark new flotation room; a fight scene might involve someone crashing down the waterfall-wall in the centre of the wellness centre.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Opponents argue the arch would obstruct the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, disrupt a solemn military landscape, and require congressional authorization because it would be built on federal land.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2026
-
This solemn rite is a common sight in the rural South, so the locals extended a little grace to the mourning mass, creating a midday traffic jam on the town’s Main Street.—
Theodore R. Johnson,
Washington Post,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Where the Cycle-Syncing Science Gets Complicated The picture gets murkier from there.—
Allison Palmer
June 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
-
The sperm was banked after Epstein's conviction, which raises murky ethics issues in the fertility industry.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Almost a year out to sea is very depressing.—
Steve Walsh,
NPR,
23 May 2026
-
Some sendoffs are mundane; others are downright depressing.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The den resembles the room of someone who is stuck in a depressive rut, like Clark.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Most deaths are caused by substance use disorders and depressive disorders.—
Yenupini Joyce Adams,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its trio, a lonely fox-deer, an axolotl apprentice healer and a red panda Viking, travel through a darkening natural world as the series folds identity, belonging and environmental crisis.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
Brunson is hardly a lonely talent.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somber. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
