1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

tenebrific

adjective

ˌte-nə-ˈbri-fik How to pronounce tenebrific (audio)
Definition of tenebrificnext
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light a man unexpectedly emerged from the tenebrific shadows of the cave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer soldiers who had lived for months in the tenebrific trenches that stretched along the western front

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenebrific
  1. darkened
  2. dark
  3. murky
  4. lonely
  5. black
  6. bleak
  7. depressing
  8. somber
Adjective
  • Around them stand darkened houses, and uncollected trash piles up on the street.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • For serious gear collectors tired of pocket clutter and dark backpack voids, this clever mobile workstation is a genuinely smart, highly functional evolution.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing hits quite like a pair of $39 Levi’s jeans, and this perfectly stretchy, dark-wash option is just what the doctor ordered.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Light takes on an ethereal glow and colors blend into murky browns and blacks.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But that failed, too, leaving a murky path for Henderson, whose cancer was so rare the World Health Organization had only given it a name in 2021.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • The story follows Bobi, a 12-year-old boy born with literal dog’s paws, hidden away by his family until Carlos, a lonely, childless man, takes him in.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • From screenwriter Eric Champnella and set in 2008, Return to You follows a powerful but lonely female attorney (Lohan) who mistakenly receives a very emotional DVD sent by a dying woman to her husband (Golding).
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • Madonna then descended the stairs and removed her coat to reveal a red-and-black corset as dancers lifted her onto a table that rolled around a choir in the audience wearing white veils.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to this trendy cherry red, there are more colors to peruse including classic black, soft pale blue, approachable gray, and more.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of black
Adjective
  • Shane Beamer's future looks bleak after Gamecocks blew a 16-0 lead against Mississippi State and lost their sixth straight SEC game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In this rain and stiff wind, under a dark sky, from one bleak port to another.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Having too many Titans on your fantasy roster is just depressing.
    — Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t be put off by the alarming title; this book approaches our ominous political landscape with an eye to diagnosing, not depressing.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Many social media users suggested Pearman may have missed the point of the somber experience of visiting a living memorial where one of history’s greatest atrocities occurred.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • On Thursday, members of The Times editorial staff gathered to celebrate Swed, but the mood was somewhat somber.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of somber
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tend (to)
tenebrific
tenebrous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tenebrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrific. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of heterodox

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All