saturnine

[sat-er-nahyn] / ˈsæt ərˌnaɪn /

ADJECTIVE

gloomy

Synonyms

WEAK

blue cheerless dejected depressed desolate despondent dispirited dour down down in the dumps forlorn glum grave hopeless in low spirits in the dumps low melancholy miserable moping morose sad solemn sorrowful sulky sullen unhappy woebegone woeful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Slatkin noted that the recording, released in 1955, didn’t sell well, probably thanks to the album cover’s saturnine painting of a composer that few would recognize.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2025

Waters emerged as its new, more saturnine leader.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2023

The brooding, saturnine artist has evolved into a genial grandfather.

From The Guardian • Jan. 6, 2019

Lilli Palmer is a saturnine icon in the Marlene Dietrich mold.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 26, 2018

The man who glowered before him conformed to the classic stereotype of Marine barber Ben had envisioned in his mind: the face was saturnine, pock-marked, and the mouth was grim.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Vocabulary lists containing saturnine

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