The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
sombre
adjective UK (US somber) /ˈsɒm.bər/
/ˈsɑːm.bɚ/ Definition
› serious, sad, and without humour or entertainment: a sombre atmosphere/voice/face The funeral was a sombre occasion. I left them in a sombre mood.Lacking humour › dark and plain: He wore a sombre black suit.Pale and colourless and causing colour to fadeBlack, white and greyThe qualities of colour sombrely (US somberly)
/-li/ adverb sombreness (US somberness)
/-nəs/ noun [U]
(Definition of sombre adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Focus on the pronunciation of sombre
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Lacking humour, but you might be interested in these topics from the Entertainment topic area:
- Carnival, fairground & circus
- Cinema & theatre: acting, rehearsing & performing
- Cinema & theatre: actors & performers
- Cinema & theatre: casting, roles & scripts
- Cinema & theatre: parts of plays, shows & films
- Cinema & theatre: people who work in cinemas & theatres
- Cinema & theatre: production, direction & recording
- Cinema - general words
- Cinema ratings & types of film
- Dance & choreography
- Entertainers in general
- Humour & humorous
- Theatre - general words
- Theatre auditorium & front-of-house
- Theatres, cinemas & their parts
- Types of film, play, book etc.
Browse the Dictionary
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus: Lacking humour
Synonyms and related words:
- beyond a joke idiom
- earnest adjective
- humourless adjective
- intense adjective
- lightly adverb (NOT SERIOUSLY)
- mirthless adjective
- po-faced adjective
- poker-faced adjective
- saturnine adjective
- serious adjective (NOT JOKING)
- seriously adverb (NOT JOKING)
- sober adjective (SERIOUS)
- sober verb
- soberly adverb
- solemn adjective
- solemnity noun
- starchily adverb
- starchy adjective (FORMAL)
- take a joke idiom
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
