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 solemn
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
Behind Sarnow and Common Council members, employees used equipment to lift a wrecked SUV with its left front side smashed in, a somber reminder of the devastation caused by reckless driving.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Some of Wittenberg’s works are exuberant, others somber or wistful.
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of the orgiastic madhouse that fans of Monster and American Horror Story have grown accustomed to, Devil in Disguise is a somber affair, as aesthetically chilly as a December in Des Plaines, Illinois.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
These early, somber moments cast a mood, but the film is eager to hold Polly’s feet to some fire.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Some of Wittenberg’s works are exuberant, others somber or wistful.
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2025
Instead of the orgiastic madhouse that fans of Monster and American Horror Story have grown accustomed to, Devil in Disguise is a somber affair, as aesthetically chilly as a December in Des Plaines, Illinois.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
These early, somber moments cast a mood, but the film is eager to hold Polly’s feet to some fire.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somber
Adjective
-
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
-
Banners hang from the eaves of many houses, a solemn reminder to mark where residents were either killed or kidnapped.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Yom Kippur is the most solemn Jewish holiday, marking the end of the 10 Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Kennedy sought the advice of doctors after dealing with severe memory loss and brain fog, reportedly leading to a scan of his brain that showed a dark spot in the imagery.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Instantly, her apartment faded away, to be replaced by a dark void.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The next seven frames felt funereal.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Not explained is whether Makary would be happier if drug companies placed ads with immobile patients, frowns, and funereal music.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
From there, things get murkier.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Right now, the future in New York looks murky.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Our system isn’t set up to look at whether someone’s lonely or not.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Padres fans turn their lonely eyes to you.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Steve's wife, Chelsey Bridges, announced the sad news on Friday in a video shared to her late husband's social pages.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
-
This admission seemed sad—critics are supposed to take pride in withstanding disagreement.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somber. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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