saturnine

adjective

ˈsa-tər-ˌnīn How to pronounce saturnine (audio)
Definition of saturninenext
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the men awaiting interrogation by the police shared a saturnine silence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of saturnine are crabbed, gloomy, glum, morose, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

When is crabbed a more appropriate choice than saturnine?

The synonyms crabbed and saturnine are sometimes interchangeable, but crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

In what contexts can gloomy take the place of saturnine?

The words gloomy and saturnine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

When can glum be used instead of saturnine?

While the synonyms glum and saturnine are close in meaning, glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

How do morose and glum relate to one another, in the sense of saturnine?

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When could sulky be used to replace saturnine?

In some situations, the words sulky and saturnine are roughly equivalent. However, sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When would sullen be a good substitute for saturnine?

Although the words sullen and saturnine have much in common, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

Where would surly be a reasonable alternative to saturnine?

The words surly and saturnine can be used in similar contexts, but surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

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 saturnine The mood is too saturnine, the occasional nods to social criticism too stilted. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saturnine
  1. somber
  2. depressive
  3. bleak
  4. dark
  5. lonely
  6. depressing
  7. desolate
  8. morbid
Adjective
  • Plus, the combination of the stone fireplace and the dark wood cabinets and shelves flanking it contributed to the overall impression of a somber, too-serious space.
    — Meghan Holloran, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2025
  • Trump will participate in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony and speak at the cemetery’s amphitheater, in what has been a somber occasion for U.S. presidents.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The investigation specifically focused on 1,422 fathers who were screened for depressive symptoms when their children were five years old, Schmitz told Newsweek.
    — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 May 2025
  • For every past depressive episode, the likelihood of having another one goes up.
    — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 2 May 2025
Definition of depressive
Adjective
  • At the same time, others who attended this year’s California Democratic Party Convention dismissed any notion that the future of the Democratic Party is bleak.
    — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
  • The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who’s said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now.
    — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Dark Universe is home to one of the greatest dark rides of all time.
    — Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 3 June 2025
  • Both were crucial mental health resources during that dark time, and both found a wider embrace online for their niche comic sensibilities.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Set in a town ruled by absurd karate law, the film watches as a lonely teen forms an unlikely bond with the ghost of his late father’s favorite action hero.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 May 2025
  • If there was no Stitch, Lilo would have remained a lonely girl, and Nani silently suffering from her massive responsibilities.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.
    — Michael Washburn, National Review, 25 May 2025
  • Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • The location is on federal land just north of the U.S.-Mexico border along a desolate stretch of the Sonoran Desert about 72 miles south-southwest of Tucson.
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 May 2025
  • Even the trailers for Superman have echos of the Man of Steel and Batman v Superman trailers, including starting with Superman falling out of the sky into a desolate Arctic area.
    — Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of desolate
Adjective
  • The marketing was clever (complete with morbid 3D billboards), and this series has built-in nostalgic value.
    — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
  • The morbid series first began in 2000 and follows groups of people getting Rube Goldberg machine’d to death by unforeseen domino effects — a timeless concept if there ever was one.
    — J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 17 May 2025
Definition of morbid

Browse Nearby Words

saturnalias
saturnine
satyr
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Cite this Entry

“Saturnine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saturnine. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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