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
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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
Adjective
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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
-
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
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The publication also shares some of the murky citation practices of contemporary social media.—
Colin Lecher,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The murky word of sports collectibles The passion to possess a thing that belonged to someone famous is as old as time.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Geirþrúður has wrapped a large towel around herself but her shoulders are still bare and her December-dark hair is wet and wild and possibly blacker than it’s ever been.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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From the balcony, Kate appeared still, serene and composed in an all-black ensemble, accessorized with a black hat, scarf, her RAF brooch and the traditional red poppy.—
Erin Hill,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
John Penner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In the story, there is a lot of comedy that naturally arises from tragic moments, from dark, depressing moments.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
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This is par for the course, because conversations are confusing, even depressing.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With so many comedy writers on the bill, the Broder tribute was no somber affair.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
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As is tradition, all the women were dressed in black ensembles to mark the somber occasion, which commemorates members of the military from Britain and the Commonwealth who have died in battle.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Tenebrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrific. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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