lugubrious
His storytelling acquired an all-purpose lugubriousness.
The strong ending cannot quite the redeem the lugubriousness of the book.
There was apparently little reason for her lugubriousness.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sadness and regret
aw
be/weigh on your conscienceidiom
bitter
black dog
breastbeating
cry
doom and gloom
feel badidiom
gloominess
glumness
groan
guilt
melancholia
prick someone's conscienceidiom
regretful
regretfully
remorse
remorseful
repentant
wretchedness