gloom

verb \ ˈglüm \

|Updated on: 25 Jul 2018

Examples: gloom in a Sentence

Definition of gloom

gloomed; glooming; glooms

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

gloom Synonyms

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

The fact that its storylines often coincided with the news cycle made the prospect of escape from Gilead the only slant of light in the gloom.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "A Maddening Season Finale for The Handmaid’s Tale," 11 July 2018
That would be a blow to Beijing’s effort to attract foreign capital and keep people employed at a time of gathering economic gloom.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "After Trump’s New Tariff Threat, China Seeks Strategy for Retaliation," 11 July 2018
Violet kept them in her peripherals. 2 Bo was hiding behind a powerjack, only meters from the fire door and the emergency exit sign glowing above it through the gloom.

— andrew liptak, The Verge, "A transgender girl rises up against alien invaders in Rich Larson’s novel Annex," 8 July 2018
With the winter gloom and gray at bay, what better time to experience it all?

— elise taylor, Vogue, "The Best International Vacations for the Extended Fourth of July Weekend," 25 June 2018
For all its darkness, though, the series does still boast a loyal fanbase—which indicates that for all the gloom, many viewers still see the show as something greater than a relentless misery machine.

— laura bradley, HWD, "The Handmaid’s Tale Writer Breaks Down the Series’s Most Brutal Episode Yet," 20 June 2018
The spires and crenellations of the midtown buildings had taken on a Gothic cast in the gloom.

— gary shteyngart, The New Yorker, "The Luck of Kokura," 18 June 2018
Stalls selling shoes, handbags, toothpaste and half-price stereo systems are illuminated in the gloom, while the smell of soap mixed with cheap perfume fills the air.

— The Economist, "Singapore’s Brutalist past could soon be gone," 31 May 2018
But a measure of gloom, for all the rationalizations, has been hard for the Warriors to shake as Saturday’s Game 1 against the pesky San Antonio Spurs — sans Curry — draws near.

— marc stein, New York Times, "Can Winning Become Rollicking Fun Again for the Warriors?," 13 Apr. 2018

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.