lugubrious

adjective

lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs How to pronounce lugubrious (audio)
Definition of lugubriousnext
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

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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 On occasion, especially as the film builds to its lugubrious finale, Mielants tries other tricks, simulating long tracking shots that seem to glide through the school and then out onto the grounds. — Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025 Some movie-goers love that sort of lugubrious, meditative filmmaking, some not so much, but either way — and to paraphrase Carly Simon — nobody does it better. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 28 June 2025 In one lugubrious sequence in which various members of Willie’s children’s generation take part in a pickleball tournament, the young men attempt to trash-talk one another. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 June 2025 The lugubrious $190 million musical was a sad clown face on all fronts, cast into the dunk tank by critics and posting a D CinemaScore from audiences — the first comic-book title ever to earn such a low exit-poll grade. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lugubrious
  1. somber
  2. mournful
  3. bleak
  4. weeping
  5. depressive
  6. funeral
  7. dark
  8. heartbroken
Adjective
  • Some are somber, like the single mom Mekko’s left in the lurch or a fellow journalist who prefers feel-good fluff pieces to muckraking.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The trailer opens on the somber, grayscale world of London before entering the wild, psychedelic, and magical world of Narnia.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And after Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl died in 2024, dozens of mournful fans gathered to say goodbye to the beloved creature who flew around Manhattan and became a joy to many after someone let him out of his zoo enclosure the previous year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Providing a faint ray of hope in this otherwise bleak start to life, the five baby orangutans have been settling into their new surroundings in Odisha at the Nandankanan Zoo.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleak
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
Definition of weeping
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
  • One Chicago priest dying from cancer was denied a funeral mass at her longtime parish.
    — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The GoFundMe organizer said the family was seeking help covering funeral expenses for Stone and her children.
    — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • Nordic drama is still often associated internationally with crime, darker tones and a certain visual restraint.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Campaign images show close-fitting cycling jerseys paired with dark shorts, with prints ranging from yellow-green graphics to blue-and-white patterns.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • While mourning her father, the heartbroken Sara uses a piece of chalk to draw a circle on the floor of the attic resembling the one Rama creates to protect Sita.
    — Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of heartbroken

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Cite this Entry

“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lugubrious. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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