gloom

verb \ ˈglüm \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 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

And now that gift has been cruelly snatched away thanks to two words that spell nothing but doom and gloom: UCL sprain.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "Shohei Ohtani's Trip to the Disabled List Is the Cruelest News of the Year," 8 June 2018
San Francisco was a grim place, the gray gloom of a double-murder in City Hall and a mass suicide at Jonestown still hanging over the city in the early 1980s.

— ann killion, SFChronicle.com, "Dwight Clark’s death leaves a void in San Francisco’s heart," 4 June 2018
But the second-year Diamondbacks manager isn't all doom and gloom, despite the fact that his team has lost 15 of its last 17 games and boasts some of the worst offensive statistics in MLB.

— richard morin, azcentral, "Despite struggles, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo still 'proud' of offense," 28 May 2018
Cast away the doom and gloom about the Memorial Day weekend forecast.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Memorial Day weekend weather in Washington may turn out much better than expected," 23 May 2018
After the user data scandal hit Facebook, some predicted doom and gloom for the world’s most popular social network.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Tech Takes a Big Slice of Fortune 500 List," 21 May 2018
It's been all doom and gloom in Riverdale this season.

— jessica radloff, Glamour, "So This Is Why Riverdale Was So Violent This Season," 16 May 2018
Despite the dreary auspices that frame Preoccupations’ sound, Flegel rejects the notion that his band traffics exclusively in gloom.

— zack ruskin, San Francisco Chronicle, "Preoccupations are ready to cast a new shadow," 10 May 2018
But that doom and gloom might be lifted by numbers in the new CNN-SSRS national poll, numbers that suggest that, at least at the moment, Republicans are not headed for a total pounding in 180 days.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "The new CNN poll has some actual good news for Republicans," 9 May 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.