Saturnine
[SAT-ər-nahyn]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Old French, 15th century
(Of a person or their manner) Slow and gloomy.
Examples of saturnine in a sentence
"While most characters in “Winnie-the-Pooh” are cheerful, Eeyore is saturnine."
"Poor weather at the beginning of my vacation put me in a saturnine mood."
About Saturnine
“Saturnine” is based on the Old French “Saturnin,” from the Latin “Saturninus,” meaning “of Saturn.”
Did you Know?
Saturn was the Roman god of time, wealth, and periodic renewal, among other things. From his name we get the December festival Saturnalia — a season of feasting, fun, and gift-giving. How is it, then, that a “saturnine” personality is gloomy and melancholic? In the Middle Ages, Saturn was believed to be the farthest planet from the sun, and therefore cold and desolate. Rather than the god Saturn, remembered with joyous celebrations of plenty, the planet Saturn was associated with gloom and darkness — the characteristic features of a saturnine personality.