lugubrious
adjective
lu·gu·bri·ous
lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs 
also -ˈgyü-
1
: mournful
especially
: exaggeratedly or affectedly (see affected entry 2 sense 1a) mournful
dark, dramatic and lugubrious brooding —
V. S. Pritchett
V. S. Pritchett the tour de force of lugubrious cliche is ten times longer than this review —Martin Amis
Martin Amis 2
: dismal
a lugubrious landscape
lugubrious cello music
lugubriously
adverb
lugubriousness
noun
Did you know?
Lugubrious Has Latin Roots
Lugubrious is the sole surviving English offspring of Latin lugēre, meaning "to mourn." Its closest kin, luctual, an adjective meaning "sad" or "sorrowful," was put to rest centuries ago.
Synonyms
- black
- bleak
- cheerless
- chill
- Cimmerian
- cloudy
- cold
- comfortless
- dark
- darkening
- depressing
- depressive
- desolate
- dire
- disconsolate
- dismal
- drear
- dreary
- dreich [chiefly Scottish]
- elegiac
- elegiacal
- forlorn
- funereal
- gloomy
- glum
- godforsaken
- gray
- grey
- lonely
- lonesome
- miserable
- morbid
- morose
- murky
- plutonian
- saturnine
- sepulchral
- solemn
- somber
- sombre
- sullen
- sunless
- tenebrific
- tenebrous
- wretched
Examples of lugubrious in a Sentence
a comic actor known for his lugubrious manner
the diner's dim lighting makes eating there a particularly lugubrious experience
Recent Examples on the Web
Same, too, with the lugubrious dance of the conclave itself, with its round after round of balloting and tallying and quiet reflecting.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
In one of the most creative responses, U.K. actor Christopher Tester turned Trump’s words into a highly dramatic monologue set to lugubrious music.
—Leslie Katz, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
The lugubrious creature surfaced next to the boat, cut across the bow, dived, then reemerged.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Their happy haberdashery stands in sharp contrast to their lugubrious lyrics.
—David Holahan, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lugubrious 
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.
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
In one of the most creative responses, U.K. actor Christopher Tester turned Trump’s words into a highly dramatic monologue set to lugubrious music.
—Leslie Katz, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
The lugubrious creature surfaced next to the boat, cut across the bow, dived, then reemerged.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
Their happy haberdashery stands in sharp contrast to their lugubrious lyrics.
—David Holahan, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lugubrious
Articles Related to lugubrious
Dictionary Entries Near lugubrious
Cite this Entry
“Lugubrious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lugubrious. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lugubrious
adjective
lu·gu·bri·ous
lu̇-ˈgü-brē-əs
also -ˈgyü-
: mournful sense 1
especially
: exaggeratedly or insincerely mournful
lugubriously
adverb
lugubriousness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share