solemn

Meaning

1. (specifically) Of or pertaining to religious ceremonies and rites; (generally) religious in nature; sacred.
2. (broadly) Characterized by or performed with appropriate or great ceremony or formality.
3. (broadly) Deeply serious and sombre; grave.
4. (broadly) Inspiring serious feelings or thoughts; sombrely impressive.
5. (broadly, obsolete) Cheerless, gloomy, sombre.

Opposite of

lighthearted, unserious, cheerful, blue, bummed out, depressed, discontented, down, grieving, sad, sorrowful, unhappy

Synonyms

serious

grave

🪦

earnest

formal

somber

majestic

sedate

ceremonial

dignified

sober

stern

staid

stately

grand

ceremonious

sacred

dark

gloomy

large

impressive

austere

grim

authoritative

festive

sad

☹️

severe

silent

🔇

sincere

sombre

quiet

impassioned

important

imposing

listless

lofty

major

matronal

matronly

meaningful

melancholy

ministerial

miserable

moving

no-nonsense

nonsense

notable

obscure

pathetic

pompous

practical

Translations

solennel

solemne

feierlich

solenne

plechtig

sérieux

statig

solemne

serio

ernst

plechtstatig

solene

ernstig

formal

grave

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsɒləm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: solempne

In summary

From Middle English solempne, solemne (“performed with religious ceremony or reverence; devoted to religious observances, sacred; ceremonious, formal; of a vow: made under a religious sanction, binding; religious celebration, celebration of a feast day; famous, well-known; important; grand, imposing; awe-inspiring, impressive; grave, serious; dignified; enunciated or held formally”) [and other forms], from Old French solempne, solemne (“serious, solemn”) [and other forms], or from its etymon Late Latin sōlempnis, sōlennis, from Latin sōlemnis, from sollemnis (“appointed, established, fixed; common, customary, ordinary, ritual, traditional, usual; ceremonial, religious, solemn; festive; annual, yearly”) [and other forms]. The further etymology is uncertain; sollus (“entire, whole”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole”)) + epulum (“banquet, feast”) (in the sense of a ritual; perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- (“to eat”)) has been suggested.