tenebrous

[ ten-uh-bruhs ]

adjective

1. dark; gloomy; obscure.

tenebrous

/ ˌtɛnəˈbrɒsɪtɪ; təˈnɛbrɪəs; ˈtɛnəbrəs /

adjective

1. gloomy, shadowy, or dark

Derived Forms

• tenebrosity, noun

Other Words From

• tene·brous·ness noun
• un·tene·brous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenebrous¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word tenebrōsus. See Tenebrae, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of tenebrous¹

C15: from Latin tenebrōsus from tenebrae darkness

Example Sentences

It opens with a D flat in the low strings, winds and brass, a tenebrous and flatly final sound incapable of being dislodged by the thwacks and thumps surrounding it.

From New York Times

Antonaci’s tenebrous cinematography forces you to keep an eye on what lurks in the shadows that darken almost every scene, and it’s a thrill.

From New York Times

By the same token, Spanish cinema at large has been reluctant to engage with that tenebrous period.

From Los Angeles Times

This play, like many of Axis’s productions, mostly serves as a pretext for David Zeffren’s tenebrous lighting and Paul Carbonara’s ominous sound design.

From New York Times

The shadowing is more tightly contained in Hsin-Hsi Chen’s intricate paper sculptures, whose multi-planar surfaces are covered with tenebrous graphite, charcoal, ink and paint.

From Washington Post