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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of somber
Ellie and Joel’s trek through the post-apocalypse remains a somber meditation on loss and brutal human nature.
—
George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Despite his somber introduction, this version of Creasy doesn’t earn the character’s darker choices.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
After a somber morning at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla went their separate ways.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Hancock’s visit came at a somber time for his alma mater.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
Despite his somber introduction, this version of Creasy doesn’t earn the character’s darker choices.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
After a somber morning at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla went their separate ways.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2026
Hancock’s visit came at a somber time for his alma mater.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for somber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for somber
Adjective
-
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
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As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The job market is showing intermittent signs of recovery after a bleak 2025.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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The outlook appeared so bleak that Alexey Miranchuk gestured to the heavens and said, if the team could acquire help from a higher power and get a road win, maybe the ship could be steered in the right direction.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms In darker hues with lots of hardwood and colorful fabrics, the rooms here don’t fall into your standard contemporary look.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Forty-four of the 89 counties along Route 66 were sundown towns, communities where it was encouraged for Black people to leave before dark — or else.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
On May 1, Maryland observed Fallen Heroes Day, a solemn reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by the men and women who answer the call to serve others.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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Protesters carried myriad homemade signs, some tongue-in-cheek, some more solemn.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
But first, the imager will scout the asteroid’s immediate neighborhood to check for any moonlets that could pose hazards to the spacecraft or offer clues to the space rock’s murky past.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Details of their final days remain murky.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Even more depressing, this scenario essentially puts an end to the good-government experiment in nonpartisan redistricting reform.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
-
Such widespread outsourcing of thought and memory is deeply depressing to many educators.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
During my second pregnancy and for more than a year after giving birth to my second child, depressive periods ebbed and flowed, growing deeper and longer each time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
-
McLarty and Walker shift from depressive introspection to giggling reminiscences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Soon afterward, with minimal warning, my mother moved to a small white farmhouse on a lonely hillside in rural New Hampshire.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
But being an anti-Trump Republican has become a lonelier job in recent years as the party establishment’s support solidified behind Trump during the historically successful campaign in 2024 that returned him to the White House.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somber. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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