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
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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
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Recent Examples of somber
In a dramatic shift from her traditional all-black Remembrance ensembles, the Princess of Wales opted for the somber black dress with contrasting prairie collar.
—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Glamour, 8 Nov. 2025
The somber discussion followed discussions surrounding poor internal controls that have resulted in tens of millions of dollars spent on unauthorized contracts and unbudgeted expenses.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Exiting the bond hearing, a somber Badolato did not answer questions from reporters but Billy earlier acknowledged that Bannon was an occasional visitor to the home.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Afterwards, Canadian downtempo duo Freak Heat Waves pulled a projector screen down from the ceiling and got to work swirling house, psych-rock, dub, and trip-hop into an entrancing, yet slightly somber zone.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Glamour, 8 Nov. 2025
The somber discussion followed discussions surrounding poor internal controls that have resulted in tens of millions of dollars spent on unauthorized contracts and unbudgeted expenses.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Exiting the bond hearing, a somber Badolato did not answer questions from reporters but Billy earlier acknowledged that Bannon was an occasional visitor to the home.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Afterwards, Canadian downtempo duo Freak Heat Waves pulled a projector screen down from the ceiling and got to work swirling house, psych-rock, dub, and trip-hop into an entrancing, yet slightly somber zone.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somber
Adjective
-
By becoming the light in a darkened world, everyone becomes a firefly that helps to illuminate the way back home to each other.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Over the weekend, around 16,000 people paid their respects to the designer at his funeral chamber at the Armani Teatro designed by Tadao Ando, filled with white flowers and paper lanterns on the floor in a diagonal grid formation dimly lit up the darkened venue.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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When everything looks bleak, a woman holds it up victoriously.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
-
New York — US stocks closed lower Thursday as concerns mounted about expensive tech stocks, and a risk-off sentiment spread through markets after new data showed a bleak outlook for the job market.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
Anna Meiler,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Velardo’s whereabouts were murky when he was charged in the two investigations in March, 2013.—
Karen Wang,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But when the two leading figures behind the coup – RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in charge of the SAF – began fighting each other, the foreign powers had to choose whom to support – and their involvement became even murkier.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Green Bay Packers suffered a brutal injury blow during their depressing Week 9 loss against the Carolina Panthers at home.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
Stacy Shaw,
Fortune,
26 Dec. 2025
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During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
Stacy Shaw,
The Conversation,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The patient thriller finds Agnes lonely in her seedy motel, with a phone that often rings, though the person on the other end of the line never speaks.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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Namir Smallwood stars opposite Coon as Peter, a paranoid former soldier and mysterious drifter who meets her character Agnes, a lonely waitress.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somber. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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