Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.
Louise posts on her website:
This week’s word begins with the letter L:
Part of Speech:
Adjective
Meaning:
Looking or sounding sad and dismal, especially in an affected or exaggerated manner
Pronunciation:
loo-goo-bree-uhs ((lʊˈɡuːbrɪəs)
Audio Link:
Related Forms:
lugubriously (adverb)
lugubriousness and lugubriosity (nouns)
Synonyms:
sad melancholy morose gloomy dismal pensive doleful mournful dreary serious woeful woebegone sorrowful depressing unhappy downhearted glum forlorn crestfallen downcast funereal brokenhearted blue disconsolate sombre subdued despondent
Antonyms:
cheerful joyful bright friendly cordial cheery comforting cheering festive sunshiny
Word Origin:
Late 16th – early 17th century (1585 – 1605) from the Latin lugubris meaning mournful (from the Latin verb lugere: to mourn) + English ous
Use the Word in a Sentence:
1. Ten-year-old Michael suddenly charged through the back door. ‘Mum, what’s the matter with Charlie? He looks really sad and miserable. Is he ill?’
‘No he isn’t – and don’t let that lugubrious face he pulls fool you. He’s just feeling sorry for himself because I caught him eating the cat’s food and chased him out. And he can jolly well stay there until I decide to forgive him.’
2. I’d waited for what seems like hours at a bus stop when a whole convoy of buses with the same destination arrived with lugubrious slowness.
3. The lugubriousness of the view that hit us as we rounded a bend caused a wave of sadness to wash over me. Could this neglected, derelict old building really be the same pretty house of my childhood… a house that had once been filled with laughter and love?
‘Don’t worry, sweetheart,’ my husband said, smiling at me. ‘The house might look woefully lugubrious now, but the workmen I’ve hired will have it looking bright and cheerful before we know it, even on the gloomiest of days.’
***
If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.
Millie Thom 
Now there’s a word I don’t see often! Whenever I see one of your posts, I stop to try to define the word myself before reading the rest of the post. I wasn’t 100% confident in my answer this time, but I was right, hooray! Well, mostly right. I didn’t realize it could also be used to mean an inanimate object looking dismal — so I’ve learned something new, thanks!
Thanks, Joy. Lugubrious isn’t a word I use much myself but it suits a lot of dismal scenes and situations as well as facial expressions. Good to know you got the meaning right. 😀
These weekly word posts feel like a fun challenge to use the words more often in real life! Or at least in writing, lol…
I wasn’t familiar with this word, Millie. You’re a great teacher!
Thank you so much, Jill. I do enjoy doing these posts and thinking up sentences to illustrate them. 😀
Sadly, we see a lot of lugubrious faces these days!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post, Millie. I love learning something new and the way you taught it made me smile. Thank you for this! ♥
Thank you for that lovely comment, Holly. You’re right about the lugubrious faces, too. It’s been a difficult and sometimes sad year for so many of us, worldwide. We’re all looking forward to better times ahead. ❤