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
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
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
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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
-
The Smithsonian Institution, which includes all the Smithsonian museums, plans to go dark after Saturday if the government shutdown continues beyond then, according to its website.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Polselli brings a painterly gaze to scenes of quiet dread, such as a figure gradually appearing out of thick brush as two women make their way home through dark woods.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Combs' case was particularly challenging, wading into the murky intersections of consent and coercion, celebrity, complex workplace dynamics and the myriad ways that people cope with trauma.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The lack of government data leaves investors, economists and policymakers with a murkier view of the economy at a crucial moment when concerns are mounting about a weaker labor market and stickier inflation.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While there is still a chance that Sanders and Colorado can turn things around, the rest of the season is looking bleak.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
From a bleak job hunt upon her arrival in 2016 to undergoing treatment for her second bout with breast cancer during the uncertainty and fear of COVID, Davis recalls her journey through raw vulnerability and splashes of humor.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The cards show your heart has been waking back up from a deep and somber slumber to finally roar more loudly than ever in July.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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According to the tabloid site, the couple seemed more somber and tense than usual.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the play, Farrow played Sharon, a lonely Iowa woman – estranged from her adult son, divorced from her husband – who decides to take a boarder into her large farmhouse.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
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But on the flip side, the one tally in the win column remains lonely as the team heads into its Week 5 matchup against the Jets in New York.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to Agnifilo, three medical experts have diagnosed Combs with post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The next seven months are a gray, depressive blur.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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With its primary tenant away, the pro stadium here in central Japan was desolate outside.—
Brad Lefton,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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