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Lugubrious
Mournful or gloomy, often to an exaggerated or affected degree.
adjective💡
Imagine This
A dark, heavy cloud floating over a landscape filled with vibrant flowers, symbolizing the contrast between gloom and joy.
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Sounds Like
LOO-GYOO-BREE-uhs
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Looks Like
Looks like: lug + gloom + ious
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Remember This
From Latin lugubris meaning mournful; the word often conveys an excessively sorrowful or theatrical mood.
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Other Forms
Lugubriousnessnoun
Lugubriouslyadverb
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Note
Used to describe mood, tone, or atmosphere as bleak or gloomy; not suitable for describing ordinary sadness.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The funeral dirge gave the gathering a lugubrious atmosphere.
- The novel's lugubrious tone left readers feeling somber long after the last page.
Synonyms
mournfulgloomydolefulmelancholysombersorrowful
Antonyms
cheerfuljoyfulbuoyant
Etymology
From Latin lugubris 'mournful', from lugeo 'to mourn'. The English adjective was borrowed via Old French lugubre.
Mnemonic
Mnemonic: Think Lug - as in carry a heavy burden - plus gloom: lug + gloom + ious; a person who carries gloom is lugubrious.
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Jargon
nounThe specialized vocabulary used by a particular profession, group, or field; terms that are often difficult for outsiders to understand.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Doleful
adjectiveMournful; sorrowful; filled with or expressing sadness.
Somber
adjectiveGloomy, dark, or serious in mood or appearance; not cheerful.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
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