Synonyms of gloom

gloom 1 of 2

noun

1

as in sadness

a state or spell of low spirits

has been in a perpetual gloom since his dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sadness
• depression
• melancholy
• sorrowfulness
• mournfulness
• sorrow
• gloominess
• anguish
• grief
• misery
• dejection
• blues
• dreariness
• unhappiness
• despair
• oppression
• glumness
• agony
• joylessness
• desperation
• despondency
• despondence
• dumps
• despond
• heartsickness
• forlornness
• mourning
• doldrums
• pain
• mopes
• miserableness
• desolation
• boredom
• blue devils
• distress
• downheartedness
• melancholia
• regret
• somberness
• disconsolateness
• self-pity
• dispiritedness
• hopelessness
• discouragement
• dolefulness
• woe
• dolor
• wretchedness
• drear
• ennui
• tedium
• disheartenment
• moroseness
• moodiness
• morbidness
• woefulness
• rue
• self-despair
• dismalness
• morosity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joy
• elation
• euphoria
• happiness
• exuberance
• exultation
• bliss
• jubilation
• rapture
• ecstasy
• joyousness
• gladness
• mirth
• heaven
• intoxication
• exhilaration
• glee
• joyfulness
• merriment
• optimism
• jollity
• felicity
• gaiety
• joviality
• humor
• cheerfulness
• lightheartedness
• hopefulness
• blissfulness
• cheeriness
• gayness
• cheer
• satisfaction
• contentment
• elatedness
• content
• gleefulness
• mirthfulness
• rapturousness
• sunniness
• gladsomeness
• contentedness
• delight
• gratification

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dark
• shadows
• darkness
• blackness
• night
• black
• dusk
• twilight
• midnight
• candlelight
• murk
• semidarkness
• gloaming
• umbra
• shade
• gloominess
• dullness
• blackout
• somberness
• dimness
• grayness
• umbrage
• murkiness
• cloudiness
• paleness
• faintness
• haziness
• mistiness
• half-light
• brownout
• fogginess
• shadiness
• dimout

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• light
• glow
• day
• daylight
• glare
• brightness
• brilliance
• lightness
• sunlight
• blaze
• moonlight
• sunshine
• starlight
• radiance
• shine
• luminescence
• effulgence
• luminosity
• radiancy
• luminance
• incandescence
• luminousness

gloom

2 of 2

verb

ˈglüm 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glare
• scowl
• stare
• frown
• glower
• gaze
• lower
• gape
• grimace
• look daggers
• sulk
• sneer
• snarl
• pout
• ogle
• snigger
• growl

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• beam
• smile
• grin

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• darken
• frown
• stare
• rage
• glare
• anger
• glower
• lower
• scowl
• steam
• brood
• menace
• pet
• sulk
• storm
• threaten
• pout
• mope
• intimidate
• fume
• bristle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lighten
• brighten
• cheer (up)
• perk (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gloom

Noun

That gloom extends far beyond assessments of the current time period; the Post/Ipsos poll found that 59% of Americans doubt their family's ability to improve their standard of living, outnumbering optimists by nearly 20 points. — Emily Guskin, ABC News, 29 July 2026

The lead up to the World Cup was no different, but the doom and gloom went away once the action began. — Los Angeles Times, 22 July 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