saturnine

[ sat-er-nahyn ]
/ ˈsæt ərˌnaɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR saturnine ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

sluggish in temperament; gloomy; taciturn.
suffering from lead poisoning, as a person.
due to absorption of lead, as bodily disorders.

Origin of saturnine

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin sāturnīnus (see Saturn, -ine1)

OTHER WORDS FROM saturnine

sat·ur·nine·ly, adverb sat·ur·nine·ness, sat·ur·nin·i·ty [sat-er-nin-i-tee] /ˌsæt ərˈnɪn ɪ ti/, noun

Words nearby saturnine

saturdays, saturn, saturnalia, saturnian, saturniid, saturnine, saturnism, satya yuga, satyagraha, satyagrahi, satyaloka

Words related to saturnine

blue, cheerless, dejected, depressed, desolate, despondent, dispirited, dour, down, forlorn, glum, grave, hopeless, low, melancholy, miserable, morose, sad, solemn, sorrowful

Example sentences from the Web for saturnine

British Dictionary definitions for saturnine

saturnine
/ (ˈsætəˌnaɪn) /

adjective

having a gloomy temperament; taciturn
archaic
  1. of or relating to lead
  2. having or symptomatic of lead poisoning

Derived forms of saturnine

saturninely, adverb saturninity (ˌsætəˈnɪnɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for saturnine

C15: from French saturnin, from Medieval Latin sāturnīnus (unattested), from Latin Sāturnus Saturn, with reference to the gloomy influence attributed to the planet Saturn

Medical definitions for saturnine

saturnine
[ săt′ər-nīn′ ]

adj.

Melancholy or sullen.
Produced by absorption of lead.