as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of saturnine
At the juncture between postwar noir and golden-age melodrama is Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a saturnine elegy to a lost Hollywood of the silent era, when faces and charisma were more desirable than voices or talent.
—
Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
The mood is too saturnine, the occasional nods to social criticism too stilted.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022
Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
The mood is too saturnine, the occasional nods to social criticism too stilted.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturnine
Adjective
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Nuno’s sombre facial expression did little to mask his dread over the club’s plight.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Sixty-two years after that somber swearing-in, the central figures who were on board Air Force One have passed away, among them Johnson, his wife, Lady Bird, Jackie Kennedy and Hughes.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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During one depressive episode, Springsteen somberly speeds down the road in his Camaro before violently hitting the brake.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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There are four basic types of the disorder, which are characterized by periods of elation and hyperactivity known as manic episodes, which are then followed by depressive stages where the patient experiences feelings of sadness and depression.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Prince Harry wore a black blazer over a white T-shirt with dark pants.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Its legs are a similar pale yellow color covered with irregular black and dark-brown markings, according to Omelko.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Leave it to Shane Black to turn the lonely act of screenwriting into a contact sport.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
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One of the more criminally underrated films of the genre, this Frankenstein-esque tale stars Angela Bettis as the title woman, a lonely sort whose sole friend is a doll made by her mom.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And that’s what's so depressing.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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His college career has come to an end in a very depressing way.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Clowns, aliens and the mysteries of Denver Airport Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – yes, it’s officially called that – runs through one of the most remote and desolate stretches of the United States.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most tourists come to London for the iconic landmarks and museums, but for those with a penchant for the foreboding, the city’s morbid history sets an especially spooky tone.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
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Across almost 20 novels, the British author spun fantastical tales with unsentimental wit, infusing his work with darkly morbid humor, blithe child endangerment, rotten and antagonistic adults, and a willingness to occasionally laugh at the misfortune of others.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Saturnine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturnine. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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