düster

See also: duster

German

Alternative forms

• duster (less common)

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Low German, ultimately from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Germanic *þiustrijaz (“dark, without light”). Akin to Old High German dinstar, Dutch duister, Icelandic þjóstur. See also the native German term finster.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdyːstər/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: düs‧ter; before the 1996 reform: dü‧ster

Adjective

düster (comparative düsterer or düstrer, superlative am düstersten)

1. cheerless, melancholy, somber
2. dark, obscure

Usage notes

The contracted comparative düstrer is per se rare, but more commonly seen in the inflected forms, e.g. düstrere, düstrerer (in order to avoid the three reduced syllables and reduplication in düsterere, düstererer).

Further reading

• “düster” in Duden online

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German Low German

Alternative forms

• duster

Etymology

Middle Low German dü̂ster, akin to Old High German dinstar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdystə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈdystæ/ (Mecklenburg)

Adjective

düster

1. dark, obscure
2. cheerless, melancholy, somber
3. of no good intention, evil