gloom

play

verb \ ˈglüm \

Definition of gloom

intransitive verb

1 :to look, feel, or act sullen or despondent

2 :to be or become overcast

3 :to loom up dimly

transitive verb

:to make dark, murky, or somber :make gloomy

See gloom defined for kids

Examples of gloom in a Sentence

we just sat there, glooming, as we waited and waited for our dinners to arrive
he continued to gloom over the fact that he had been passed over for promotion to district manager

Origin and Etymology of gloom

Middle English gloumen

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

gloom Synonyms

Synonyms

glare, frown, glower, lower (also lour), scowl

Antonyms

beam, grin, smile

Related Words

gape, gaze, ogle, stare; grimace, pout, sulk; growl, snarl, sneer, snigger

gloom

noun

Definition of gloom

1 a :partial or total darkness

b :a dark or shadowy place

2 a :lowness of spirits :dejection

b :an atmosphere of despondency

a gloom fell over the household

See gloom defined for English-language learners

Examples of gloom in a Sentence

The painting captures the gloom of a foggy night.
He walked away, disappearing into the gloom.
the gloom of the forest
He was often subject to periods of gloom.
A cloud of gloom has descended over the city.

Recent Examples of gloom from the Web

LONDON (AP) — Any doubts Antonio Conte had about his Chelsea players were dispelled with a victory over Tottenham that lifted the gloom surrounding the champions.

— rob harris, The Seattle Times, "Chelsea title defense back on track; Huddersfield wins again," 20 Aug. 2017
After all this doom and gloom, Halloran ends his video on an uplifting note, with research showing that UN peacekeeping is an effective tool in minimizing conflicts.

— sophie weiner, Popular Mechanics, "How Many People Would Die in an All-Out Nuclear War?," 11 Aug. 2017
But six years after the revolution that toppled Gaddafi, the mood in Tripoli, the capital, is a mixture of hopelessness and gloom.

— rick noack, Washington Post, "The North Korea gamble, and four global stories you might have missed," 10 Aug. 2017
Yet over the past few months, gloom has turned to sunshine.

— The Economist, "Emmanuel Macron is revitalising the European Union—and dividing it," 20 July 2017
The news cycle surrounding President Donald Trump frequently brings about doom and gloom, but rare moments of levity manage to shine through every now and then.

— devon ivie, Teen Vogue, "Donald Trump Alleges that Japan's First Lady Doesn't Know English — and the Internet Roasted Him Accordingly," 20 July 2017
But don't expect the play to be all gloom and doom.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "‘Twilight Zone’ Enters the Stage Dimension," 19 July 2017
No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.

— solomon jones, Philly.com, "Michael Vick is wrong: A haircut won't help Colin Kaepernick, or any black man," 18 July 2017
Miles from the gloom of Chicago, Asghar and Bailey were confused.

— mallika rao, The Atlantic, "All the Brown Girls on TV," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gloom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.