solemn

adjective

ˈsä-ləm How to pronounce solemn (audio)
Definition of solemnnext
1
as in imposing
having or showing a formal and serious or reserved manner the director of the funeral home has a fittingly solemn demeanor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in serious
not joking or playful in mood or manner solemn as a judge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the Capitol's rotunda was draped in solemn decorations of a state funeral

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of solemn are earnest, grave, sedate, serious, sober, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When is it sensible to use earnest instead of solemn?

While the synonyms earnest and solemn are close in meaning, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When might grave be a better fit than solemn?

While in some cases nearly identical to solemn, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When would sedate be a good substitute for solemn?

Although the words sedate and solemn have much in common, sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

Where would serious be a reasonable alternative to solemn?

In some situations, the words serious and solemn are roughly equivalent. However, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

In what contexts can sober take the place of solemn?

The words sober and solemn can be used in similar contexts, but sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When could staid be used to replace solemn?

The words staid and solemn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

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 solemn These final days of Lent, constituting the most solemn season of the ecclesiastical year, will commemorate the passion and death of Christ. —From Staff Reports, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 Apr. 2026 Hulu set the mood for the evening when two dozen young women, dressed in their Gilead wife-training school’s purple uniforms, walked in solemn unison down the carpet, each carrying a small pie and boarding a bus with curtains covering the windows. —Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026 Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians, who may reflect, fast and attend special church services. —Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2026 Jesus' journey carrying his cross is the solemn focus of believers who prepare to celebrate Christ's eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday. —Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for solemn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for solemn
  1. imposing
  2. serious
  3. somber
  4. dignified
  5. stern
  6. bleak
  7. distinguished
  8. earnest
Adjective
  • Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The Blue Devils – led by the physically imposing, likely top-three NBA Draft pick, Cameron Boozer – had the second-biggest roster in the country, including four other players expected to join Boozer in June’s NBA Draft.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of imposing
Adjective
  • The victim suffered serious injuries to her right ear, right cheek and face, including a laceration that was about 6 inches long, officials said.
    — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The broad ban on advertising also raises serious constitutional concerns.
    — Cláudia Nunes, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • The past few days’ fallout is a long way from any somber scene like that.
    — Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The glow of hundreds of candles illuminated somber faces, sobs often cutting through the silence in the crisp spring air.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • One face is of marble and tall glass with a few neo- classical dips and angles, dignified, but probably more suitable for a post office out in the stern Midwest than an urban bayscape in South Florida.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The bodies of pilot Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther were prepared for transport at two Queens funeral homes and were expected to be taken to Newark Liberty International Airport for a dignified transfer back to Canada Wednesday night, sources with knowledge of the case said.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of dignified
Adjective
  • Some of the movie is an acid satire of pre-wedding rituals — like the first dance that Charlie and Emma are dutifully rehearsing for, with a ridiculously stern taskmaster of a coach.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Born in Michigan, Tolkan served in the Navy before studying at the Actors Studio, eventually becoming Hollywood’s go-to stern authority figure for decades.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • But the state education department questioned this week whether the picture is as bleak as Superintendent Andrae Townsel’s administration has described.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Amid the chaos under Yeltsin, a bleak frontier culture took hold.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Saudi Arabia is using its East-West pipeline, which stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, to transfer about 5 million barrels per day out of the Gulf, said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, a non-partisan institution focused on energy and economics.
    — Cathy Bussewitz, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Advertisement Curtis Bradley, a distinguished service professor of law at the University of Chicago, told TIME that there is, at least, some precedent, citing President Jimmy Carter's withdrawal from a mutual defense treaty with Taiwan in 1978, which was formalized in 1980.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of distinguished
Adjective
  • Such hearings are often performatively theatrical, but this seemed like earnest moral outrage.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Cunk on Earth plays like a Daily Show segment spread out across five hours, in which viewers watch the earnest — and ofttimes exasperated — talking heads field inane questions from Morgan’s uproariously daft Cunk.
    — Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of earnest

Browse Nearby Words

solely
solemn
solemnities
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Cite this Entry

“Solemn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/solemn. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of solemn for Spanish Speakers

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