adj

saturnine

Quiz me More like this

Saturnine (adj) means Describes someone who tends to be cold, distant and gloomy by nature.

adj

Describes someone who tends to be cold, distant and gloomy by nature.

Describes a place or atmosphere that feels dull, dark and depressing.

"This saturnine line of thinking proceeds as the clouds overhead start to coalesce and the sky takes on its regular clothy P.M. weight." — David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (1997)

"It is not easy to kick off a new era with the requisite upbeat mood when the saturnine sight of a near-vacant arena evokes the apathy caused by past disappointments." — Tom Dart, US soccer’s Gregg Berhalter era starts with a win and the echo of empty seats (2019)

Relating to the metal lead, which old European alchemists linked with the planet Saturn.

(medicine) Resulting from or affected by poisoning with lead.

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like saturnine.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “saturnine” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Etymology

From Middle English saturnine, satournine, satournyne, saturnin, saturnyn, saturnyne (“pertaining to or under the influence of the planet Saturn; line on the palm of the hand associated with Saturn”), from Old French saturnine, saturnin (modern French saturnin (“of, pertaining to, resembling or containing lead, plumbic”)), or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin Sāturnīnus, from Sāturnus (“the Roman god Saturn; the planet Saturn”) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’); analysable as Saturn + -ine. The English word is cognate with Italian saturnino (“saturnine”), Portuguese saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”), Spanish saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”). Sense 1 (“having a tendency to be cold, bitter, gloomy, etc.”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn were believed to have that disposition.

Synonyms

View more →

dour sour dark morose glowering moody sullen glum

Antonyms

cheerful jovial cheery buoyant blithe bright

Related words

happy dark smart bright brilliant dumb clever lit

Rhymes for saturnine

nine mine wine line sine dine fine thine shine Rhine Maine seine

See all rhymes for saturnine →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of saturnine?

"saturnine" (adj) means describes someone who tends to be cold, distant and gloomy by nature.

What is another word for saturnine?

Other words for "saturnine" include dour, sour, dark, morose, glowering, moody.

What is the opposite of saturnine?

Opposites of "saturnine" include cheerful, jovial, cheery, buoyant, blithe, bright.

What are the different meanings of saturnine?

"saturnine" has 3 main meanings: 1. Describes someone who tends to be cold, distant and gloomy by nature; 2. Describes a place or atmosphere that feels dull, dark and depressing; 3. Relating to the metal lead, which old European alchemists linked with the planet Saturn.

People also searched

happy dark smart bright brilliant dumb clever lit