1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a tenebrous night with no moon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
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
-
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
-
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui posted a video to X over the weekend, showing a dazzling view of auroras spreading like a tall blanket over the darkened Earth below.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Both teams wore their dark jerseys for the 266th meeting between the teams and UCLA improved to 150-116 in a series dating to 1928 when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
-
In all, eight of the 28 shows lost a performance (many productions are dark on Sunday nights anyway), and most took significant box office blows.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Past research in humans on how neurogenesis occurs has been murky, partly due to the type of measurement tools used, Lazarov said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Davis has a water filtration system and said her water is still murky.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These events aren’t illuminating, and feel instead like a bleak betrayal.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The outlook is bleak for Spurs.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The mood in some corners of the Penguins locker room was somber on Wednesday.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The nonprofit provides support to the Jewish community, and leaders reflected on the lifeline that assistance has meant to Odesa on the somber fourth anniversary of the conflict.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That perspective was a lonely and isolating one.—
Nina Zipkin,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
-
But ‘no writer worth his salt is even, or can be,’ Eudora Welty wrote, reviewing Salinger’s lonely nine in these pages.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This can trigger depressive symptoms or worsen pre-existing symptoms for some women.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The fear alone sent Rzeznik down a depressive spiral of writer’s block, a move to New York City, and a separation from his wife.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Your character is a shape-shifting Ditto, and you’ve been dropped in a desolate landscape.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The gang pulls up to a desolate area, finding Albert's most recent car there.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
