adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˌtɛn.ɪˈbɹɪf.ɪk/
rhymes with -ɪfɪk
1
adj
Meaning 1
Producing darkness, obscuring; (loosely) gloomy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Tenebrific stars were once thought to be the source of darkness during the night.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
dark and gloomy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a tenebrous cave
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tenebrous, tenebrious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From New Latin tenebrificus, from Latin tenebrae (“darkness”) + -i- + -ficus (“making, causing”).