sepulchral

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (3)

  1. of or relating to a sepulchre“sepulchral inscriptions”“sepulchral monuments in churches”
  2. gruesomely indicative of death or the dead“a charnel smell came from the chest filled with dead men's bones”“ghastly shrieks”“the sepulchral darkness of the catacombs”Synonyms: charnelghastly
  3. suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial“funereal gloom”“hollow sepulchral tones”Synonyms: funereal
Word of the day · Sep 28About this word
onerousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Se·pul′chral adjective

Origin: L. sepulcralis: cf. F. sépulcral.

1. Of or pertaining to burial, to the grave, or to monuments erected to the memory of the dead; as, a sepulchral stone; a sepulchral inscription.

2. Unnaturally low and grave; hollow in tone; — said of sound, especially of the voice.

This exaggerated dulling of the voice... giving what is commonly called a sepulchral tone.— Henry Sweet

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

Advertisement