sombre

CEFRC1

/ˈsɒmbə/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Dark or serious in mood or appearance.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Dull or dark in colour or brightness.

Examples

  • Is black too sombre to wear in spring?

  • a sombre situation

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [sɔ̃ː.bɹ(ə)]

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Melancholic, gloomy, dreary, dismal; grim.

  2. Dark; gloomy; shadowy, dimly lit.

  3. Grave; extremely serious.

More examples

In context

  • The lady led him into a sombre hallway and disappeared. A moment later the windowless chamber was illuminated by the entry of a heavenly creature emitting a radiance prone to pierce the heart of any youth exposed to it.

  • The dinner was silent and sombre; happily it was also short.

  • It was a wonder that he had not been a victim of the ferocious and summary executions which marked the course of that tyranny; for Guzman had ruled the country with the sombre imbecility of political fanaticism.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The old castle had a blank atmosphere that made visitors feel uneasy.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from French sombre (“dark”), from Old French sombre, from a verb *sombrer or Latin sub- + umbra. Compare Spanish sombra (“shade; dark part of a picture; ghost”).