1
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
a tenebrous night with no moon
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2
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
in the midst of those tenebrous days Thomas Paine penned the immortal words "These are the times that try men's souls"
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Recent Examples of tenebrous
Their flowers stand out like no others due to the backdrop of their tenebrous leaves.
—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires.
—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
For all its darkness, Mujica Lainez’s Duke of Bomarzo is a lantern that illuminates the place and period that brought us modernity and, as such, our tenebrous but also brilliant little lives.
—
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
What tenebrous horror is this, emerging from the ineffable darkness?
—
Jon Chesto,
BostonGlobe.com,
26 Dec. 2022
By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2021
As in the 1610 version, Susanna is seated on a balustrade, but this time there is a tenebrous sky, rather than a clear blue one.
—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2020
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Her writing can be luminous or tenebrous as the mood requires.
—
The Know,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
For all its darkness, Mujica Lainez’s Duke of Bomarzo is a lantern that illuminates the place and period that brought us modernity and, as such, our tenebrous but also brilliant little lives.
—
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
What tenebrous horror is this, emerging from the ineffable darkness?
—
Jon Chesto,
BostonGlobe.com,
26 Dec. 2022
By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Dec. 2021
As in the 1610 version, Susanna is seated on a balustrade, but this time there is a tenebrous sky, rather than a clear blue one.
—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tenebrous
Adjective
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She’s talked up her push to convert darkened streetlights, many of them stripped of their copper wire, to solar power.
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In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.
Adjective
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The top-of-the-line chef’s kitchen sports metallic cabinetry paired with dark marble countertops and backsplashes.
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These include rolled or folded leaf blades, a dark or blue tinge to the foliage, or lingering footprints after walking on the lawn.
Adjective
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More than a year later, the origin of the document remains murky.
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By the time the game ended, Sasaki’s three-inning start seemed like a murky nightmare the Dodgers awoke from in a sweat.
Adjective
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Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.
-
Kehoe pointed to the state’s bleak finances in a statement explaining his cuts on Tuesday.
Adjective
-
Instead, Alfonzo’s first appearance, the culmination of nine tireless years, was somber , stricken by the grief overshadowing what should’ve been a joyous moment in the Dodgers’ to the Padres.
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Flying straight from the merry Riverlands into the somber halls of Dragonstone is one hell of a comedown, but Daemon never struggles to access his dark side.
Adjective
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His lonely life away from friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) included sleeping under the stairs.
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Thrown into the thick of a ballet season, the dancer explained that there wasn’t time to be lonely.
Adjective
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Research from the University of Delaware’s Department of Women and Gender Studies found that body image concerns resulting from social pressures are linked to lower self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating in young women.
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Research also suggests changes in brain chemistry involving neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine can cause depressive symptoms.
Adjective
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Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
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In the summer it had been packed with people out on the streets, by the fall is was desolate.
Cite this Entry
“Tenebrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tenebrous. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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