dyster

See also: Dyster

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German dūster, from Old Saxon thiustri (“obscure, dark”). Cognate with Swedish dyster, German düster and Old English þystru (English thester).

Adjective

dyster

1. gloomy, sombre, sepulchral

Inflection

Inflection of dyster
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Indefinte common singular	dyster	dystrere	dystrest2
Indefinite neuter singular	dystert	dystrere	dystrest2
Plural	dystre	dystrere	dystrest2
Definite attributive1	dystre	dystrere	dystreste
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Noun

dyster c

1. indefinite plural of dyst

Verb

dyster

1. present of dyste

References

• “dyster” in Den Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Middle Low German dūster. Cognate with Swedish dyster and German düster.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /¹dʏs.təɾ/

Adjective

dyster (neuter singular dystert, definite singular and plural dystre, comparative dystrere, indefinite superlative dystrest, definite superlative dystreste)

1. dark, obscure, gloomy, dreary
2. cheerless, somber (US), sombre (UK)

Synonyms

• (dark, obscure): mørk
• (cheerless, somber): trist

References

• “dyster” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Middle Low German dūster.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /¹dʏs.tər/

Adjective

dyster (neuter singular dystert, definite singular and plural dystre, comparative dystrare, indefinite superlative dystrast, definite superlative dystraste)

1. dark, obscure, gloomy
2. cheerless, somber (US), sombre (UK)

Synonyms

• (dark, obscure): mørk
• (cheerless, somber): trist

References

• “dyster” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

ett fotografi där Virginia Woolf ser dyster ut [a photograph where Virginia Woolf looks gloomy]

en dyster gås ["a gloomy goose" – not an idiom in Swedish (see dysterkvist)]

en dyster målning [a gloomy painting]

Etymology

From Middle Low German dūster, from Old Saxon thiustri (“obscure, dark”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdʏ̌sːtɛr]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

dyster (comparative dystrare, superlative dystrast)

1. gloomy (feeling, expressing, or marked by gloom)

   Conny var på ett dystert humör

   Conny was in a gloomy mood

   en dyster min

   a gloomy face [facial expression]

   1. somber

      en dyster tillställning

      a somber occasion

2. bleak, gloomy, dreary (evoking a feeling of gloom)

   grått och dystert väder

   gray and dreary weather

   en dyster situation

   a bleak situation

   en dyster prognos

   a gloomy forecast

Inflection

Inflection of dyster
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	dyster	dystrare	dystrast
Neuter singular	dystert	dystrare	dystrast
Plural	dystra	dystrare	dystrast
Masculine plural3	dystre	dystrare	dystrast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	dystre	dystrare	dystraste
All	dystra	dystrare	dystraste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

Derived terms

• dysterhet
• dysterkvist

See also

• sorgsen (“sad”)

References

• dyster in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• dyster in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• styrde