gloomier; gloomiest
1
a
: partially or totally dark
especially : dismally and depressingly dark
gloomy weather
b
: having a frowning or scowling appearance : forbidding
a gloomy countenance
c
: low in spirits : melancholy
2
a
: causing gloom : depressing
a gloomy story
a gloomy landscape
b
: lacking in promise or hopefulness : pessimistic
gloomy prophecies
a gloomy future
gloomily adverb
gloominess noun
Choose the Right Synonym for gloomy

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

sullen, glum, morose, surly, sulky, crabbed, saturnine, gloomy mean showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood.

sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

Examples of gloomy in a Sentence

We've had a week of gloomy weather. The news continues to be gloomy. She doesn't agree with their gloomy economic forecasts. His book paints a gloomy picture of the prospects for peace. I've never seen you looking so gloomy.
Recent Examples on the Web There was only one gloomy man sitting there; the others had gone off to exercise their power. Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Getting out of bed in the morning isn’t always easy, especially on dark and gloomy winter days where emerging from underneath the covers can feel downright painful. Adria Greenhauff, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 Despite that gloomy backdrop, Hunt delivered an upbeat assessment of Britain’s economic prospects and the outlook for household finances. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Her colorful garbs stand out from the background of the photo which is gloomy and dark. Thania Garcia, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 But other villagers were gloomy about the approaching Russian onslaught. Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 There’s gloomy speculation about the measures management may take to make the company profitable — which subreddits might be banned, how much users might have to pay to post, a heavier ad load. Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2024 Our outlook for the Huskies next season in the Big Ten is gloomy but justified given the coaching change and massive roster attrition. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 But to mark the end of gloomy winter and celebrate a very special Leap Year, hotels and resorts, airlines, and travel booking services are similarly offering their own last-minute and forward-looking travel deals, making the coming weeks an ideal time to book all of your travel. Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gloomy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see gloom entry 1

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gloomy was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near gloomy

Cite this Entry

“Gloomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gloomy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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