How to Use somber in a Sentence

somber

adjective
  • The movie is a somber portrait of life on the streets.
  • He wore a somber suit.
  • Her death put us in a somber mood.
  • God of War opens on a somber note that sets the tone for the game.
    Andrew Webster, The Verge, 12 Apr. 2018
  • The mood was somewhat somber despite the size of the crowd.
    José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2022
  • What appealed to you on the more somber side of things?
    New York Times, 5 Jan. 2022
  • The crowd grew silent at the sight and the Fox broadcast crew was somber.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • Then, of course, there are the somber ties to mourning and plague.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, WSJ, 10 June 2021
  • The shooting has cast a somber tone over the final days and weeks of the school year.
    New York Times, 25 May 2022
  • The other half is somber and still, amid a sea of black clothes.
    Bloomberg.com, 30 Jan. 2018
  • His speech was a good one, somber and hard to listen to.
    Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 7 Dec. 2017
  • Bailey said the mood in the postgame locker room was somber.
    Elliott Lapin, Houston Chronicle, 19 Feb. 2018
  • The somber tune featured in the second episode of season two.
    Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2023
  • The mood was somber, as the whole nation mourned the death of their sovereign.
    Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, 1 Feb. 2019
  • Williams was one of the first players to bolt from a somber Saints locker room.
    Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2020
  • It has been said that the song unified and energized the somber crowd.
    Calum Trenaman, CNN, 19 June 2020
  • The space falls just the right side of sparse, somber and low-lit with deep cobalt walls and high ceilings.
    BostonGlobe.com, 24 Mar. 2021
  • But the shadow of the war in Gaza, Khalil said, will make this Ramadan a somber time for many.
    Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Moments later, the somber ballad was named song of the year.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 July 2019
  • The mood is somber, but the adults trade smiles and laughs and reminiscences.
    Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
  • The piece will highlight the somber, dark times of the war, as well as heroic moments.
    Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2023
  • After the somber drip and drop of morning rain, a curtain seemed to rise.
    Martin Weil, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2023
  • The atmosphere in the locker room is somber until Ted comes out to speak to the team.
    Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 31 May 2023
  • When a restaurant says goodbye, the mood can feel a bit somber.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2024
  • The threads are somber, humming with stress, slow panic, and calls for help.
    Madhushree Ghosh, Longreads, 12 May 2021
  • The music is haunting and somber in the wake of Princess Diana’s death in a Paris car crash.
    Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
  • The mood in the postgame visiting locker room was somber.
    Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2022
  • The rain made for a somber occasion that is long part of the Widows’ schtick.
    al, 27 Feb. 2022
  • Popular on Variety While the original captured the innocence of childhood, the follow-up strikes a more somber chord.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Following a planned abdominal surgery in January, Kate revealed in a much more somber video message on March 22 that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
    Rachel Burchfield, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'somber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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