gloom 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gloomnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits has been in a perpetual gloom since his dog died

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
a time or place of little or no light the gloom of a rainy night is the perfect setting for a mystery story

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gloom

2 of 2

verb

ˈglüm How to pronounce gloom (audio)
1
as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval we just sat there, glooming, as we waited and waited for our dinners to arrive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to darken
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look he continued to gloom over the fact that he had been passed over for promotion to district manager

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gloom
Noun
The partying turned to gloom after the temblors. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 The Los Angeles guitarist and songwriter touches on grief, rejection, and love in lo-fi shoegaze songs that package sunny melodies with comforting gloom. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
Verb
Their allusion to the night refers not to gloom but to evening intimacies, the pianist and scholar Kenneth Hamilton said in an interview. — New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021 The more doom and gloom the policy makers incorporate into their scenarios before setting market prices and rules, the safer the grid can be. — Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 26 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for gloom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloom
  1. sadness
  2. dark
  3. glare
  4. darken
  5. depression
  6. shadows
  7. scowl
  8. melancholy
Noun
  • Each new body part is tinged with a bit of pleasure, pushing up against the edges of my sadness and embracing it chummily.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • The Hole Truth And Nothing Butt, telling the story of these Texan wildmen and their real-life moments of brilliance and hilarity, with revelations of profound sadness.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Each person’s light-dark exposure also differs depending on habits and location, which makes timing the biological clock difficult to measure precisely.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026
  • Open areas around Wolfe Lake and Chignecto Campground provide good visibility toward the southwest during the eclipse, while the surrounding dark-sky corridor supports decent Perseid observing conditions after dark.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 19 July 2026
Definition of dark
Verb
  • Still, as the rockets glared and smoke from pre-match pyrotechnics faded, those seats filled quickly.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 18 July 2026
  • Once launched, Eärendil-1 would deploy an 18-meter-wide steerable mirror to demonstrate that technological feat; anyone or anything in the path of its beam would see the satellite as a glaring dot shining up to four times brighter than a full moon.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
Definition of glare
Verb
  • As a makeup product, it can be used as a primer, highlighter, bronzer, foundation shade adjuster (pick a shade to darken or lighten a complexion product that’s a little bit off), and even a skin tint thanks to its sheer but transformative pigment.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 20 July 2026
  • The Hapsburg Inspector General, the equivalent of the food inspector darkening the doorway of a scummy restaurant?
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of darken
Noun
  • Yet, despite the dwindling popularity of both alcohol and cigarettes, various cancers, not to mention other serious conditions like diabetes and depression, have all been on the rise—again, especially in young people.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The stress that police officers experience is associated with higher rates of divorce, alcohol abuse, heart disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
    — Meg Anderson, NPR, 23 July 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • While humanity knows about superheroes like Spider-Man (hence, the events of the previous games), mutants are still largely living in the shadows.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
  • Lancelot, noticeably weary, impassive, and preoccupied atop an equally weary black horse, follows the sorcerer, while Merlin leads him up the path into the realm of shadows, out of the frame to the left.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of shadows
Verb
  • As a 7-year-old, I’d entertain my father’s friends, at their weekly pickup game at a Bronx barn-house gymnasium, by imitating his game face—bottom lip jutting, eyes scowling.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
  • Modern tiki tends to take a lighter touch, using more abstract graphics, less imagery of women and scowling gods.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Definition of scowl
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy

Browse Nearby Words

gloms
gloom
gloomed
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Cite this Entry

“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloom. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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