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
  • 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
  • She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • In Helaena’s room, Rhaenyra finds a tapestry Helaena had just finished sewing that predicts a dark and fiery end for Rhaenyra in the future.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • For somewhere closer to home, check a light pollution map and head to an area that looks dark.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Colonic hydrotherapy, which admittedly never promises to be glamorous, is unremarkable with a purpose that remains murky.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone from Brian Fuller to LeBron James has flirted with the property over the past decade, but its big screen future continues to be murky.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • Cycle north along the beach to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, where hiking trails, lonely sands, picnic sites, and kayak rentals fronting a freshwater lake await.
    — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But surviving a lightning strike is often the beginning of a long and lonely medical journey.
    — Daile Zhang, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • Footage aired by local media showed massive flames and fireballs erupting from the tank, with black and orange smoke rising in the sky as firefighters spray what appears to be foam or water in efforts to quench the intense fire.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Several black tattoos, including one of a cocktail glass, flex across his arms.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of black
Adjective
  • Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire.
    — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The article highlights a bleak outlook for young neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with intersecting identities, facing significant structural barriers in the job market.
    — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • The glow through the translucent stone façade prevents that journey from being downright depressing.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • For the past four decades, July was always a somber month for the McDonalds, a reminder of the moment that changed their family's lives.
    — Ali Bauman, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Less than two months after her historic victory to become Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi Sanae stood before a bank of microphones and opposition lawmakers, looking somber.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 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 14 Aug. 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 vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All