penumbra

noun

pə-ˈnəm-brə How to pronounce penumbra (audio)
Definition of penumbranext
1
as in shadow
partial darkness due to the obstruction of light rays the lunar eclipse began with a subtle darkening of the lunar surface as it passed within the Earth's penumbra

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in veil
something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth a penumbra of despair fell over the doomed city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 penumbra First, the moon enters the faint outer shadow of the Earth, or the penumbra, where dimming is subtle; this is the penumbral eclipse. — Stefanie Waldek, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026 The Moon moves right to left, passing through the penumbra and umbra, leaving in its wake an eclipse diagram with the times at various stages of the eclipse. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Mar. 2026 The umbra is a darker inner shadow and the penumbra is a fainter outer shadow, according to NASA. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025 Wygodny has written original music to subtly accompany Booth’s fable, lending the emotional subtext at points a penumbra of cello. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for penumbra
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penumbra
  1. shadow
  2. veil
  3. shade
  4. shroud
  5. blackness
  6. cloak
  7. dusk
  8. pall
Noun
  • Casting a shadow, though, was that controversy over Balogun’s reinstatement, and the unseemly likelihood politics have butted in where politics don’t belong and should never be.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • Without a connection to Apple, the iPhone is going to be a mere shadow of itself.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of shadow
Noun
  • The nineteenth-century lace veil was found in an antiques market and secured with Grace Kelly's Cartier tiara.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
  • The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls and was paired with a cathedral veil.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of veil
Noun
  • Along with the main shades in the lineup, there are seven color-correcting options that neutralize, brighten, and leave skin looking more refined.
    — Tanya Sharma, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • The only figure, man or woman, not shown wearing identical American-flag blue is the poet Phillis Wheatley, who wears a pastel shade and who also happens to be the only Black person featured in the gallery.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of shade
Noun
  • In the hospital’s courtyard, relatives wept over the bodies covered in white burial shrouds.
    — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
  • Silver and predatory birds aside, Silver and eagles aside, the shoe features a black leather and mesh region beneath the shroud with a red Jumpman.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Definition of shroud
Noun
  • Experts say that the biggest challenge at that extreme level of blackness is actually measuring it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 June 2026
  • In the restaurant, my dad looked at me with the passionate conviction of a man who was confident in his Blackness and wanted nothing more than to pass it on.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
Definition of blackness
Noun
  • In our post-religious era—in which, beneath the cloak of secular humanitarianism, righteous religiosity and virtuous crusading remain as potent as ever—history has attained the authority, authenticity and prestige that religion and its prelates once possessed.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Throughout premodern Europe, this is how she was known—the figure in the cloak with a stool on her back, walking to houses at all hours, day and night.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of cloak
Noun
  • In the early evening, just before dusk, the sun peeks through the trees and warms the bench.
    — Staff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Each light fully charges in about five hours of direct sunlight, then automatically turns on at dusk and off at dawn for an effortless set-it-and-forget-it operation.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 July 2026
Definition of dusk
Noun
  • Tracers from air defense fire streaked through the air as a huge pall of black smoke rose into the sky.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Trump started the day threatening to block Congress’ biggest bipartisan legislation of his second term over a voter ID bill that faces no path to law — casting a pall over a Capitol that had already begun celebrating a rare cost-of-living victory.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 June 2026
Definition of pall

Browse Nearby Words

penultimate
penumbra
penumbrae
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Cite this Entry

“Penumbra.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penumbra. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on penumbra

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about penumbra

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