glum

1 of 2

adjective

ˈgləm 

glummer; glummest

1

: broodingly morose

became glum when they heard the news

2

: dreary, gloomy

a glum countenance

glumly adverb

glumness noun

glumness

2 of 2

noun

glum·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being glum

Synonyms of glum

Adjective

• bleak
• somber
• lonely
• depressing
• depressive
• dark
• solemn
• desolate
• darkening
• murky
• lonesome
• cold
• morbid
• gray
• miserable

Choose the Right Synonym for glum

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 glum in a Sentence

Adjective

There's no need to look so glum—things will get better soon.

There was a glum silence in the room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Coming to the glum realization that love isn’t outlasting infatuation is trickier to write about than a more incendiary subject like unfaithfulness, but Rodrigo pulls it off. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 June 2026

James Dolan is generally a glum courtside presence, with his arms folded grimly across his chest even on the most glorious of nights. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 June 2026

With Alicia still feeling glum over the car ride from hell, Rosie shows up to her house with pink balloons and flowers to cheer her up. —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 8 June 2026

All quiet There are two reasons why polling places were so quiet Tuesday, and perhaps why some poll workers were so glum. —Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

akin to Middle English gloumen to gloom

First Known Use

Adjective

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for glum

• bum
• chum
• come
• crum
• cum
• drum
• dum
• dumb
• from
• frum
• gum
• hum

Kids Definition

glum

adjective

ˈgləm 

glummer; glummest

1

: sullen sense 1a

2

: seeming gloomy and sad

a glum expression

glumly adverb

glumness noun