saturnine

adjective

ˈsa-tər-ˌnīn How to pronounce saturnine (audio)
Definition of saturninenext
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word saturnine different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of saturnine are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

When is crabbed a more appropriate choice than saturnine?

The synonyms crabbed and saturnine are sometimes interchangeable, but crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

In what contexts can gloomy take the place of saturnine?

The words gloomy and saturnine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

When can glum be used instead of saturnine?

While the synonyms glum and saturnine are close in meaning, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

How do morose and glum relate to one another, in the sense of saturnine?

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When could sulky be used to replace saturnine?

In some situations, the words sulky and saturnine are roughly equivalent. However, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When would sullen be a good substitute for saturnine?

Although the words sullen and saturnine have much in common, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

Where would surly be a reasonable alternative to saturnine?

The words surly and saturnine can be used in similar contexts, but surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

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 saturnine The mood is too saturnine, the occasional nods to social criticism too stilted. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturnine
  1. somber
  2. depressive
  3. bleak
  4. dark
  5. lonely
  6. depressing
  7. desolate
  8. morbid
Adjective
  • Party leaders asked their members ahead of the address to maintain a dignified and somber presence in the chamber during Trump's speech.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The mix of Black trauma and White philanthropy created a peculiar vibe in the event space, at once somber and thrilling, mournful and hopeful.
    — Nicholas Lalla, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • Researchers were surprised that the decrease in depressive symptoms was on par or even more significant than the reductions documented in studies of people taking antidepressant medications.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Tragically, they are killed by their mother, who drowns them in a manic depressive episode while their father is away on business.
    — Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • Even the relatively staid premiere stole a handful of grim chuckles thanks to its guest star’s exceedingly blasé delivery of impossibly bleak news.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Yet if Mickey’s life is suffocatingly bleak, Mickey 17 is anything but.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • While it’s been nearly a decade since Markle was seen on the small screen, Rachel and her wardrobe remain as relevant as ever—especially with dark academia trending in fashion.
    — Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Los Angeles and San Diego, which have missed out on more than 5 inches of typical rain since October, should see soaking rain after dark.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Another remembers her lonely childhood with a single mother and resolved it with a partner from a large family and three children.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
  • This distinction is important: your parent might live alone without feeling isolated, or conversely, feel lonely despite being surrounded by people.
    — Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • That depressing fact gets reiterated many times, without much variation or additional insight, during Running Point’s 10-episode season.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In this new techno-dating reality, the number of fights sparked by clothes being left on the floor would dramatically decrease, instead being replaced by not-at-all depressing scenes of men standing alone in their apartments talking to a speaker.
    — Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • This powerful film tells of the friendship between a young man and a peasant farmer who has devoted his life to planting trees throughout his desolate homeland.
    — Jeremy Fassler, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Orphaned at 3 years old and robbed of her fortune, she’s dragged aboard a ship sailing for New France by her guardian, only to be abandoned on a desolate island.
    — Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • March brings his Everyman charisma to the part of Dr. Jekyll, a scientist with a morbid fascination with the goodness and evil of humanity.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The performance will feature a morbid dose of puppetry, clowning, dance, live music and stop-motion animation.
    — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
Definition of morbid

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Cite this Entry

“Saturnine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturnine. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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