tenebrous

adjective

ˈte-nə-brəs How to pronounce tenebrous (audio)
Definition of tenebrousnext
1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light a tenebrous night with no moon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer in the midst of those tenebrous days Thomas Paine penned the immortal words "These are the times that try men's souls"

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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 tenebrous Their flowers stand out like no others due to the backdrop of their tenebrous leaves. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026 Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires. — The Know, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025 For all its darkness, Mujica Lainez’s Duke of Bomarzo is a lantern that illuminates the place and period that brought us modernity and, as such, our tenebrous but also brilliant little lives. — Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025 What tenebrous horror is this, emerging from the ineffable darkness? — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022 By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2021 As in the 1610 version, Susanna is seated on a balustrade, but this time there is a tenebrous sky, rather than a clear blue one. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenebrous
  1. darkened
  2. dark
  3. murky
  4. bleak
  5. somber
  6. lonely
  7. depressive
  8. desolate
Adjective
  • Around them stand darkened houses, and uncollected trash piles up on the street.
    — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This trend has been pretty pervasive among designer bags recently, with shoppers buying new Prada and Chanel bags with darkened leather to give them a used look, or sourcing vintage Celine bags with obvious signs of wear.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Definition of darkened
Adjective
  • The ad is characteristic of the increasingly dark tone Hilton’s campaign has taken on in the home stretch.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Netanyahu's supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country's darkest hour.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Of course, some situations are murkier than a stranger breezing past the entire queue.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The legal position of the Hope Florida grand jury report, already widely reported but also expunged by an appellate court, grew murkier Tuesday amid a multi-pronged effort to prohibit any publication of the document.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of murky
Adjective
  • Under Sorrells, morale at the office is bleak and has resulted in an exodus, according to two veteran prosecutors who left the office and spoke on the condition they not be identified.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Yet missing from this bleak picture are the ways that Ukraine has already adapted to escalating attacks.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • The daughter of a brass tree guest told me that on the last day, her mother pulled her aside and offered a somber warning.
    — Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Miller's new ad opens with a somber sequence of close-ups of various people's faces as the congressman talks about how divorce affects families.
    — Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The performances range from Sara Bareilles to Johnny Cash songs to unexpected tearjerkers, but the night’s real draw is a welcoming room where people share their sorrows, feel less lonely and build friendships.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Many of society’s loneliest and most attention-starved members become its most desperate and violent.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • Comfort-seeking, in turn, tracked with fewer depressive symptoms.
    — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Aerobic activities appear to improve mood and depressive symptoms, while mind-body activities benefit psychological quality of life.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • The road that leads to the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women is long and desolate.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As filmmakers, they were drawn to the unexpected beauty of the desolate, postindustrial landscape.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of desolate

Browse Nearby Words

tenebrific
tenebrous
tenement
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Cite this Entry

“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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