Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having the temperament of one born under the supposed astrological influence of Saturn.
  • adjective Melancholy or sullen.
  • adjective Having or marked by a tendency to be bitter or sardonic.
  • adjective Produced by absorption of lead.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to the god Saturn or the planet Saturn; under the influence of the planet Saturn.
  • [lowercase] Morose; dull; heavy; grave; not readily susceptible to excitement or cheerfulness; phlegmatic.
  • [lowercase] Arousing no interest; stupid; dull; uninteresting.
  • [lowercase] In old chemistry, pertaining to lead: as, saturnine compounds.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Born under, or influenced by, the planet Saturn.
  • adjective Heavy; grave; gloomy; dull; -- the opposite of mercurial.
  • adjective (Old Chem.), Archaic Of or pertaining to lead; characterized by, or resembling, lead, which was formerly called Saturn.
  • adjective (Med.) lead colic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of or born under Saturn's influence
  • adjective containing lead, or suffering from lead poisoning (saturnia)
  • adjective cold and slow to change and react (refers to mood)
  • adjective gloomy, depressed, dull
  • adjective sardonic, bitter, disdainful

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective bitter or scornful
  • adjective showing a brooding ill humor

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Saturn +‎ -ine

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Examples

  • ‘By the way, I call the saturnine one … O’Hara … a “dark Celt.”

    The Dancing Druids Mitchell, Gladys, 1901- 1948

  • But there is something in the whole crew, jovial or saturnine, which is found nowhere else, and which, whether in full splendour as in Shakespere, or in occasional glimmers as in

    A History of Elizabethan Literature George Saintsbury 1889

  • The five or six cantos, at the opening, have all the milk of human nature that entered into the composition of that miscalled saturnine mind.

    Purgatory Mrs. James Sadlier 1861

  • Bonus points for casual use of the word "saturnine," however.

    venti anni fa 2006

  • Her husband, joining us when she was in full tide of eloquence, smiled at me with a kind of saturnine mirth.

    The Parisians — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • Her husband, joining us when she was in full tide of eloquence, smiled at me with a kind of saturnine mirth.

    The Parisians — Volume 01 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • If he is put on screen or on stage, he must be suitably "saturnine", arguably one of modern India's favourite words to describe the creator of A Holmes is not a Holmes.

    WN.com - Articles related to The return of Robbie Coltrane 2009

  • If he is put on screen or on stage, he must be suitably "saturnine", arguably one of modern India's favourite words to describe the creator of

    WN.com - Articles related to I don't need an art film to prove myself: Deepika Padukone 2009

  • His passion for newspapers comes through in his film "Deadline-U.S.A." 1952, with Humphrey Bogart as a both saturnine and driven editor.

    Hard-Nosed Hollywood Scott Eyman 2011

  • Jerry, began to grow saturnine, and peevish, and ill-tempered.

    CHAPTER XXVI 2010

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