penumbral

adjective

as in darkened

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 penumbral The stages of the eclipse include penumbral and umbral phases, which refer to the two main parts of the shadow that the moon casts. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025 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 penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter shadow where only a partial blocking of sunlight occurs. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026 The penumbral shadow is the outer, lighter portion, which only partially blocks sunlight. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026 On March 3, 2026, totality will last 58 minutes, but the full event — including penumbral and partial phases — will span 5 hours and 38 minutes. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026 After this March event, Earth’s shadow will only skim the moon, creating less impactful partial and penumbral eclipses in late 2026, 2027 and 2028. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penumbral
  1. darkened
  2. dusky
  3. moonless
  4. obscured
  5. darkish
  6. obscure
  7. pitch-dark
  8. dim
Adjective
  • She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
  • In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • Dragonstone is the windswept ancestral seat of House Targaryen, but the Black Queen did not grow up playing among its dusky caverns.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • In Randolph’s photo, Brisket could be seen lounging on a dusky pink velvet chair with a table in front of him set with a martini and a glass of red wine.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 June 2026
Definition of dusky
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the very early hours of July 7 and 8 will see a close conjunction of a last quarter moon and Saturn in the east, kicking off relatively moonless conditions for the following 10 nights or so.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • That same night, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak under a perfectly dark, moonless sky.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of moonless
Adjective
  • For one thing, near-infrared light can pass through thin clouds, so an obscured sky wouldn't prevent communication.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 June 2026
  • Earl Hindman scored the role of Wilson, the Taylor's wise (and facially obscured) neighbor, on Home Improvement, appearing in 203 episodes of the series.
    — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
Definition of obscured
Adjective
  • Photos of Trump at this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland show an even gnarlier darkish bruise on his left hand.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of darkish
Adjective
  • Intentionally vague and obscure, the Daodejing would go on to inspire various interpretations ranging from philosophical reflections to how to realize the Dao in everyday practice.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • The end of legal slavery in New York should not be an obscure historical fact.
    — Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • The 21st century has yielded no shortage of stylish horror marbled with devious veins of pitch-dark humor — Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, pretty much every Jordan Peele feature.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
  • In the pitch-dark room, Heath remembers hearing the call to prayer in the morning.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of pitch-dark
Adjective
  • To protect your sleep, keep the lights dim and the activity boring.
    — Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 27 June 2026
  • Topline If predictions come true, June 25 could see a dim star in the night sky suddenly brighten in a once-every-80-years event.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of dim

Browse Nearby Words

penumbrae
penumbral
penurious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All