Meaning of sombre in English

sombre

adjective

UK (US somber)

/ˈsɒm.bər/ us

/ˈsɑːm.bɚ/

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serious, sad, and without humour or entertainment:

a sombre atmosphere/voice/face

The funeral was a sombre occasion.

I left them in a sombre mood.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

lacking humour and not meant to be funny

seriousShe had a serious look on her face.
earnestAt that time he was an earnest young environmental activist.
soberThe mood of the gathering was sober and reflective.
sombreUK Since their colleague died there has been a very sombre atmosphere in the office.
solemnThe two men fell silent, their faces solemn.

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dark and plain:

He wore a sombre black suit.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Lacking humour

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Colourless or causing colour to fade

Black, white & grey

The qualities of colour

Related words

sombrely

sombreness

(Definition of sombre from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of sombre

sombre

Areas informs me that the king has just descended to the sombre shores.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

There are, of course, sombre lessons to be learned from these pages.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is remarkably poignant, sombre yet comforting, evocative of distant associations, yet not too explicit.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Older people were instructed to behave in a dignified, sombre manner.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

What is intended to be a sombre expression may well provoke laughter among readers.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Its patriotism was now more sombre and reflective, and tinged by class.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The remaining players offer sombre chords, which cast occasional shadows across the cello line.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Comic talents are seldom, if ever, given as much weight as merely sombre ones.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A sombre sky illuminated by lightning announces the beginning of the deluge.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The resonance felt in between the chord clusters evokes a sombre sense of silence and stillness, emanating from the lingering harmonies.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

But overall, this is a sympathetic (if ultimately rather sombre), insider's treatment, containing a mine of information.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Her epilogue, again with the modern visitor realising the implacable nature of the weather, completes the narrative on a sombre note.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Then comes the meat of the subject and finally a sombre look into the past and predictions for the future.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Spouses, relatives and friends all begin to die off and some elderly survivors take a sombre glee in totting up the score.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A denuded orchestral palette, with rattling percussion and sombre woodwind lines, is supported by an austere, pianissimo chord.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of sombre?