Somberness

som·ber  (smbr)

adj.

1.

a. Dark; gloomy.

b. Dull or dark in color.

2.

a. Melancholy; dismal: a somber mood.

b. Serious; grave.

---

[French sombre, from Old French, from *sombrer, to cast a shadow, from Late Latin subumbrre, from Latin sub umbr, in shadow : sub, under; see sub- + umbr, ablative of umbra, shadow.]

---

somber·ly adv.

somber·ness n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	somberness - a state of partial or total darkness; "he struck a match to dispel the gloom" gloom, sombreness semidarkness - partial darkness
	2.	somberness - a feeling of melancholy apprehension gloom, gloominess, sombreness apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread - fearful expectation or anticipation; "the student looked around the examination room with apprehension" melancholy - a feeling of thoughtful sadness
	3.	somberness - a manner that is serious and solemn graveness, gravity, soberness, sobriety, sombreness serious-mindedness, earnestness, seriousness, sincerity - the trait of being serious; "a lack of solemnity is not necessarily a lack of seriousness"- Robert Rice stodginess, stuffiness - dull and pompous gravity