funereal

adjective

fu·​ne·​re·​al fyu̇-ˈnir-ē-əl How to pronounce funereal (audio)
1
: of or relating to a funeral
2
: befitting or suggesting a funeral (as in solemnity)
funereally adverb

Examples of funereal in a Sentence

shivered with cold in the dark and funereal Victorian mansion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That film was a loving, baroque homage to Murnau’s original, staged with funereal elegance and starring a melancholic Klaus Kinski in chalk-white makeup as the titular fiend. David Sims, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024 Based on true events, director Maggie Betts' (The Novitiate) latest drama retells a real-life legal case that exposed massive inequality in funereal care and the way Black communities were being regularly overcharged. Matt Kamen, WIRED, 26 Oct. 2024 The film, structured around a final, confessional interview given by a dying documentarian (played by Richard Gere) about his life and career, has a funereal mood but a lively cadence. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024 Halfway through, Boilen casually mentions that her good friend Alan Sparhawk (of the band Low), with whom Lea has a band called the Murder of Crows, will be joining her for two of their songs; their duet is almost funereal, both somber and gorgeous, buoyed by an indomitable optimism. Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for funereal 

Word History

Etymology

Latin funereus, from funer-, funus

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of funereal was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near funereal

Cite this Entry

“Funereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funereal. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

funereal

adjective
fu·​ne·​re·​al fyu̇-ˈnir-ē-əl How to pronounce funereal (audio)
: suggesting a funeral
funereal gloom
funereally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on funereal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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