• (RP) IPA: /ˈsætənaɪn/, /-nɪn/
• (GA) IPA: /ˈsætɚˌnaɪn/, /-ˌnin/, [-ɾɚ-]

saturnine

1. (comparable) Of a person: having a tendency to be cold#Adjective|cold, bitter, gloomy, sarcastic, and slow to change#Verb|change and react.

   Synonyms: dark, grim, sardonic, Thesaurus:cheerless

   Antonyms: cheerful, jovial, Thesaurus:happy

   • [1661, Robert Lovell, “Isagoge Zoologicomineralogica. Or An Introduction to the History of Animals and Minerals, or Panzoographie, and Pammineralogie. ↗”, in ΠΑΝΖΩΟΡΥΚΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ [PANZŌORYKTOLOGIA]. Sive Panzoologicomineralogia. Or a Compleat History of Animals and Minerals, Containing the Summe of All Authors, both Ancient and Modern, Galenicall and Chymicall, [...], Oxford: Printed by Hen[ry] Hall, for Jos[eph] Godwin, OCLC 79920846 ↗:

     Alſo amongſt the aforeſaid living creatures, ſome are Solar, [...] the contrary, are ſuch as are Lunar, Saturnine, and Martiall, &c. [...] The Saturnine, are the ſolitary, nocturnall and ſad: as the Aſſe, camel, cat, ape, hare, mule, mouſe, mole, bear, toad, and wolfe.]

   • I may cast my readers under two general divisions: the mercurial and the saturnine. The first are the gay part of my disciples, who require speculations of wit and humour; the others are those of a more solemn and sober turn, who find no pleasure but in papers of morality and sound sense.

   • 1781, [Tobias] Smollett, “He Introduces His New Friends to Mr. Jolter, with whom the Doctor Enters into a Dispute upon Government, which had Well Nigh Terminated in Open War”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […] In Four Volumes, volume II, London: Printed for Harrison and Co., […], OCLC 316121541 ↗, page 127 ↗:

     Theſe gentlemen, with an equal ſhare of pride, pedantry, and ſaturnine diſpoſition, were by the accidents of education and company, diametrically oppoſite in political maxims; [...]

   • 1822 May 28, [Walter Scott], chapter XI, in The Fortunes of Nigel. [...] In Three Volumes, volume III, Edinburgh: Printed [by James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., OCLC 277973588 ↗, pages 318–319 ↗:

     As the eye of the injured man slowly passed from the body of the seducer to the partner and victim of his crime, [...] his features, naturally coarse and saturnine, assumed a dignity of expression which overawed the young Templars, [...]

2. (comparable) Of a setting#Noun|setting: depressing#Adjective|depressing, dull, gloomy.
   • 1652, Nich[olas] Culpeper, “Henbane”, in The English Physitian: Or An Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation. […], London: Printed by Peter Cole, […], OCLC 863539962 ↗, page 67 ↗:

     All the Herbs which delight moſt to grow in Saturnine places, are Saturnine Herbs. But Henbane delights moſt to grow in Saturnine places, and whol Cart loads of it may be found neer the places where they empty the common Jakes, and ſcarce a ſtinking Ditch to be found without, it growing by it. Ergo 'tis an Herb of Saturn.

3. (comparable, chemistry, archaic) Of, pertaining to, or containing lead#Noun|lead (which was symbolically associated with the planet Saturn by alchemists).
4. (not comparable, pathology) Of a disease: cause#Verb|caused by lead poisoning (saturnism); of a person: affect#Verb|affected by lead poisoning.
5. (not comparable, astrology, obsolete) Pertaining to the astrological influence#Noun|influence of the planet Saturn; having the characteristic#Noun|characteristics of a person under such influence (see sense 1).
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Starres a Cause. Signes from Physiognomy, Metoposcopy, Chiromancy.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗, partition 1, section 2, member 1, subsection 4, page 51 ↗:

     Chiromancy hath theſe Aphoriſmes to foretell melancholy. [...] Tricaſſus, Corvinus, and others, in his book, thus hath it: The Saturnine line going from the Raſcetta through the hand, to Saturnes mount, and there interſected by certain little lines, argues melancholy: [...]

• Saturn
• Saturnalia
• saturnia
• Saturnian
• saturnism

• German: düster
• Italian: saturnino, saturnina
• Portuguese: saturnino, saturnina, soturno, soturna
• Russian: мра́чный
• Spanish: saturnino, saturnina, soturno, soturna

• French: saturnin, saturnine