tenebrous

adjective

ˈte-nə-brəs How to pronounce tenebrous (audio)
Definition of tenebrousnext
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light a tenebrous night with no moon

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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"

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenebrous
  1. darkened
  2. dark
  3. murky
  4. bleak
  5. somber
  6. lonely
  7. depressive
  8. desolate
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
  • Skywatchers should find dark locations and look north, as the aurora's intensity also hinges on the solar wind's magnetic field orientation.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • And in a dark time for the world, a magnificent tournament helped make the world feel a little smaller.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Yes, Nolan’s tendency to make the sound editing a bit murky or a bit too loud at times while the dialogue sinks into the sonic muck, all these things are true here.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Beyond logistics, the legality of federalizing election processes is murky.
    — SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, The Conversation, 17 July 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • Political instability is the new normal, and the national mood is bleak.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • And into this bleak landscape marches the blue-haired angel, Gabriel.
    — Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • The contrast of Mariama’s experience makes Stella’s life look practically as somber and sordid as a film noir, where no one can be trusted and tragedy lurks from all sides.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • This somber Australian chiller, done in an exceptionally authentic faux-doc style, follows a family trying to piece together unexplainable supernatural events in the aftermath of their daughter’s tragic, seemingly accidental death.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • That’s why even a creator with millions of followers can be lonely inside a system.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • One problem with all these efforts to mitigate old-age loneliness, Schiller notes, is that the loneliest generation is actually Gen Z.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • Unlike more overtly depressive takes on this role, Bos’ Hamlet is impetuous and sardonic, often bounding up three stairs in a single step and unspooling his words, words, words as if his mouth can’t keep up with his restless mind.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), the largest and longest-running study of the menopause transition, shows women are significantly more likely to report high depressive symptoms during perimenopause than before it.
    — Dr. Sarah Berg, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • However desolate Mars may appear from afar, there is certainly no shortage of activity on its surface — or discoveries still waiting to be made.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 July 2026
  • Despite the property damage, the New Jersey meteorite fragments are a rare reminder that asteroids aren’t always desolate, inert rocks.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 July 2026
Definition of desolate

Browse Nearby Words

tenebrific
tenebrous
tenement
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Cite this Entry

“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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