Meaning
gloomy, grim
- dark and cheerless in appearance, atmosphere, or mood
- pessimistic, somber, or foreboding
In a sentence
La stanza aveva un aspetto tetro a causa delle pareti grigie e buie.
The room had a gloomy look due to the gray, dark walls.
Perché dipingi sempre il futuro con colori così tetri?
Why do you always depict the future in such grim colors?
Il film non era affatto tetro, anzi conteneva scene molto divertenti.
The film was not gloomy at all; in fact, it contained very funny scenes.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| tetro | masculine · singular |
| tetra | feminine · singular |
| tetri | masculine · plural |
| tetre | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Can describe physical places (a dark cellar) as well as psychological states or prospects.
- Stronger and more literary than 'triste' or 'scuro'.