Dictionary

sepulchral en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /səˈpʊlkɹəl/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /səˈpʌlkɹəl/

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin sepeliō Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Indo-European *-tlom Proto-Italic *-klom Latin -crum Latin sepulcrum Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin sepulcralislbor. English sepulchral Learned borrowing from Latin sepulcralis.

Meanings

1. Relating to a grave or to death; funereal.
2. Suggestive of a grave or of death; gloomy; solemn.
   • He alluded constantly to Europe, to the people I was supposed to know there - putting leading questions as to my acquaintances in the sepulchral city, and so on. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 214:
   • Over and over I found myself visiting homes where the predominant feeling was sepulchral, dusty, and deserted […] 1999, Cheryl Mendelson, Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House, New York: Scribner, →ISBN, page 6:
3. Having a hollow and deep sound.
   • 'The Master of Krikkit,' said Slartibartfast again, and if his breathing had been sepulchral before, this time he sounded like someone in Hades with bronchitis. 1995, Douglas Adams, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: a Trilogy in Five Parts, →ISBN, page 367:
   • As for your treatment of ME," concluded Uncle Tinfish, almost having another disaster to his vocal chords at the thought of it, "I wash my hands of you, sir - I renounce you - I " Uncle Tinfish's voice was suddenly lowered to a tone of sepulchral hollowness. 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 163:

Forms

Deriveds

sepulchrally · unsepulchral · sepulchralize

Relateds

sepulchre · Heroon

Translations (20)

la sepulcralis (suggestive of grave) · bg гробовен (suggestive of grave) · pl nagrobkowy (suggestive of grave) · pl grobowy (suggestive of grave) · eo sepulteja (suggestive of grave) · es sepulcral (hollow and deep) · pl cmentarny (suggestive of grave) · de Todes- (suggestive of grave) · de Grabes- (suggestive of grave) · fi hautamainen (suggestive of grave) · fr sépulcral (suggestive of grave) · de Toten- (suggestive of grave) · pl sepulkralny (suggestive of grave) · bg гробовен (hollow and deep) · pl grobowy (hollow and deep) · sv gravlik (suggestive of grave) · de Grabes- (hollow and deep) · es sepulcral (suggestive of grave) · de düster (hollow and deep) · ca sepulcral (suggestive of grave)