1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a tenebrous night with no moon
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2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
in the midst of those tenebrous days Thomas Paine penned the immortal words "These are the times that try men's souls"
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Recent Examples of tenebrous
Their flowers stand out like no others due to the backdrop of their tenebrous leaves.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires.
—The Know, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
For all its darkness, Mujica Lainez’s Duke of Bomarzo is a lantern that illuminates the place and period that brought us modernity and, as such, our tenebrous but also brilliant little lives.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
What tenebrous horror is this, emerging from the ineffable darkness?
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022
By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021
As in the 1610 version, Susanna is seated on a balustrade, but this time there is a tenebrous sky, rather than a clear blue one.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
Natalie Erika James' assured first feature demonstrates bracing command of atmospherics, from its tenebrous visuals and labyrinthine production design to its nerve-jangling use of music and a thick soundscape stew of bumps, creaks, thuds and groans.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2020
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires.
—The Know, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
For all its darkness, Mujica Lainez’s Duke of Bomarzo is a lantern that illuminates the place and period that brought us modernity and, as such, our tenebrous but also brilliant little lives.
—Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025
What tenebrous horror is this, emerging from the ineffable darkness?
—Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022
By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021
As in the 1610 version, Susanna is seated on a balustrade, but this time there is a tenebrous sky, rather than a clear blue one.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
Natalie Erika James' assured first feature demonstrates bracing command of atmospherics, from its tenebrous visuals and labyrinthine production design to its nerve-jangling use of music and a thick soundscape stew of bumps, creaks, thuds and groans.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenebrous
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
-
Baha Mar is large in stature, sure—and Rosewood is part of a three-hotel complex across the bay from Atlantis, which looms large and brooding over its own end of the water as everything Baha Mar does not want to be—dated, dark, and reminiscent of Spring Break Past.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
-
Also fascinating were their contrasting likenesses, dark against light housed in the same being, a human eclipse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 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
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Details of their final days remain murky.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
In other words, the status quo of ed tech is bleak.—
Will Oremus,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Atlanta Braves are back home Tuesday night for their game against the Chicago Cubs, but there will be a somber energy as fans fill seats in Truist Park.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Despite the somber mood, some trustees were not convinced that their fate was sealed.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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At its center is Sam, a lonely luthier with the extraordinary ability to hear the constant noise of other people’s minds.—
JD Linville,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Criminals looking to establish online romantic relations with lonely seniors before bleeding their bank accounts dry.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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And while all researchers recognize numerous factors that contribute to this troubling uptick, a key finding by NIH’s Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is that screen time in late childhood predicts increased depressive symptoms in early adolescence.—
Jean Case,
Time,
14 May 2026
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For patients with three or more lifetime depressive episodes, the ASCP itself supports indefinite maintenance therapy.—
Jonathan Slater,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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The delicate pitter-patter of a drum’s cymbal is the only sound to break through the thick brick wall of the obscure performance venue, Sun Space, and reach the wide, desolate Sunland Boulevard.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Earlier this week, along a desolate stretch of road lined with oil refineries just north of the border between Shandong and Hebei provinces, an awareness of that spotlight seemed palpable.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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