Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

sombre

/ˈsɒmbə/ adjective

Latin root: sub Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sombre at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Lacking brightness or color; dull.
drab faded curtains
Grave or even gloomy in character.
solemn and mournful music

Origin

Borrowed from French sombre (“dark”), from Old French sombre, from a verb *sombrer or Latin sub- + umbra. Compare Spanish sombra (“shade; dark part of a picture; ghost”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word