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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lugubrious
The legacy relaunch — originally titled Superman: Legacy when the project was announced in 2023 — represents a stark departure from writer-director Zack Snyder’s comparatively lugubrious, Zod-killing superhero deconstruction Man of Steel (2013).
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Chris Lee, Vulture, 14 July 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
Jesus and Mahavira: lanky, lugubrious men, asking me to choose between them.
—Tishani Doshi, New York Times, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lugubrious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lugubrious
Adjective
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With so many comedy writers on the bill, the Broder tribute was no somber affair.—
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As is tradition, all the women were dressed in black ensembles to mark the somber occasion, which commemorates members of the military from Britain and the Commonwealth who have died in battle.—
Adjective
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This internal struggle is portrayed with raw honesty, focusing on the darker, mournful corners of humanity that inspired the record’s lyrics.—
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Other tracks channel the mournful energy of the most political ’70s dub.—
Adjective
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Her family later learned that on April 23, 2021 — the day Parker found his aunt in a bleak mood — Dee had an angry confrontation over financial issues with two employees of the trucking company.—
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Some of Tarr’s most memorable scenes feature landscapes, often bleak and despairing settings of decaying Hungarian towns, punctuated with close-ups of characters’ faces.—
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Adjective
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During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
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During high-stress situations, accepting negative emotions rather than avoiding them can reduce depressive symptoms.—
Adjective
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The page so far has raised over $30,000 in donations, with a goal of $35,000 to cover funeral costs and to support Kaleigh and Christopher’s four children.—
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The Avila family has also started a GoFundMe to help pay for the funeral and medical bills for Perla.—
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Adjective
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After Anna disappeared, Alice was heartbroken.—
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A day after the shooting, Chez’s heartbroken parents proclaimed at a press conference outside the 101st Precinct stationhouse in Far Rockaway that their son posed no threat.—
Cite this Entry
“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lugubrious. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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