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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of somber
News voices in the 1970's tended to be somber, accent-less, and almost exclusively male.
—
Scott Simon, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
Reviewers laud the murder-mystery’s Gothic elements, contrasting the Netflix movie’s more somber tone with Glass Onion‘s distinctly campy vibe.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
The long sordid legal saga came to a somber end in January 2024 when Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed via nitrogen gas in Alabama after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Those unfamiliar with the tradition may imagine a somber event, Whiteside said.
—Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for somber
Scott Simon, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
Reviewers laud the murder-mystery’s Gothic elements, contrasting the Netflix movie’s more somber tone with Glass Onion‘s distinctly campy vibe.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
The long sordid legal saga came to a somber end in January 2024 when Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed via nitrogen gas in Alabama after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Those unfamiliar with the tradition may imagine a somber event, Whiteside said.
—Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 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
-
Cape Town overflows with history and culture, from the colorful houses and Cape Malay heritage of Bo-Kaap to the solemn shores of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps that should be a solemn oath for all AI makers.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Dolphins wear white jerseys at home for afternoon games, forcing opponents to wear darker colors that absorb more heat.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The wake itself turns out to be less funereal and more a celebration of life.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Joya had been allowed to pull the flouncy bit off her shoulders, like the singers in ABBA, but since my mother told me to keep covered, the top surrounded me sadly like a funereal wreath.—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the outlook for heavier-duty Russian rocket engines is murky, at best.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Cowboys are coming off a Week 1 loss to the Eagles, and their immediate future is looking murky.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His work in those early days bears little resemblance to the crystalline large-format portraits of lonely American landscapes that would come to define his career.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
9 Sep. 2025
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Quarterback is an isolating and lonely position, despite entire infrastructures reverse-engineered in service of those who play it, to say nothing of the elaborate playbooks created for them.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This one is trickier and sadder to think about.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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Composite image created by Newsweek shows two older people looking worried and a piggy bank with a sad face on its side.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Somber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/somber. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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