na-adjective, noun
Describes an atmosphere, scene, or feeling that is dark, depressing, and heavy with sadness. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.
陰惨な雰囲気の部屋だった。
It was a room with a gloomy atmosphere.
その小説は陰惨な結末を迎える。
The novel reaches a somber ending.
陰気 is more common and can describe both a gloomy atmosphere and a person's disposition. 陰惨 is more intense and literary, emphasizing a heavy, depressing sadness.
暗い is a basic adjective for 'dark' or 'gloomy' and is used in everyday speech. 陰惨 is a more formal, literary term for a deeply somber or dreary mood.
Compound of 陰 (shadow, darkness) and 惨 (miserable, wretched). The combination conveys a sense of dark, oppressive sadness.