1
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the diner's dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
in Victorian times, people who could affect particularly lugubrious expressions were hired to march in funeral processions as professional mourners
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 lugubrious
Same, too, with the lugubrious dance of the conclave itself, with its round after round of balloting and tallying and quiet reflecting.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
In one of the most creative responses, U.K. actor Christopher Tester turned Trump’s words into a highly dramatic monologue set to lugubrious music.
—Leslie Katz, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
The lugubrious creature surfaced next to the boat, cut across the bow, dived, then reemerged.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Their happy haberdashery stands in sharp contrast to their lugubrious lyrics.
—David Holahan, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
In one of the most creative responses, U.K. actor Christopher Tester turned Trump’s words into a highly dramatic monologue set to lugubrious music.
—Leslie Katz, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
The lugubrious creature surfaced next to the boat, cut across the bow, dived, then reemerged.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Their happy haberdashery stands in sharp contrast to their lugubrious lyrics.
—David Holahan, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lugubrious
Adjective
-
Following his release, Yarden was met by his sister and father in a somber reunion.—
Mohammed Tawfeeq,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The image of Kurdi, dead and face down in the sand, soon became a somber meme—one that, for a while, helped garner widespread sympathy and financial support for refugees landing by the thousands on Greece’s shores.—
Lauren Markham,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Brown’s sound design mixes Sousa-like military fanfares with mournful underscoring for Lavinia’s tragedy, neither of which has much to do with Kidwell’s preshow music.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Chaos quickly unfolds when the bickering, different-strokes twins find the calamitous heirloom—although Perkins keeps the first act mostly mournful, as the boys struggle with the onslaught of death around them.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The picture looks bleak in the U.S. and in France the company is entering receivership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The tiny graves at one end of the orphanage compound are a bleak reminder of what a future without USAID might look like for the children.—
Nicholas Komu,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Stimulants can also worsen depressive symptoms.1 In addition to SSRIs, other classes of antidepressants can also interact with Adderall.—
Ayesha Gulzar,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2025
-
My problems began during the winter of 2023, when dingy weather and a depressive fit spurred me to sign up for a half-marathon.—
Amy X. Wang,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Their son Donny attended to all of the funeral arrangements with the help of his wife Jan, a nurse, and his daughters Andrea and Alicia.—
Phil Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
-
The funeral mass in Quincy’s Sacred Heart Church will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Whether the Nationals pitching staff can hold up, healthy and effective in an incredibly difficult division, is another pressing question — with a depressing answer: probably not — but at least the bats will be worth watching.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
-
Listen to this article Super Bowl parties are on the rise this year thanks to the need to decompress from a most depressing start to 2025, along with the rising cost of packages at bars and restaurants.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Boldt hired 300 workers to construct the six-story, 120-room castle outfitted with a drawbridge and tower, but when Louise died suddenly in 1904, the heartbroken Boldt halted construction and never returned to the island.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 Feb. 2025
-
There are similar Valentine’s Day opportunities geared toward the heartbroken.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
12 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to lugubrious
Cite this Entry
“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lugubrious. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share