gloom 1 of 2

Definition of gloomnext
1
2

gloom

2 of 2

verb

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
But Charli ends the album with a sense of faint dawn creeping in against the gloom. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2026 In the gloom of February winter, these indulgences will make your day so much sweeter. Samantha Nelson, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
But, there is still gloom ahead for economies in the region. Emiko Jozuka, CNN, 5 Oct. 2022 Our imperviousness to gloom is our own peculiar virtue. Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2022 See All Example Sentences for gloom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloom
Noun
  • The film’s wry brand of sadness at times recalls the work of Aki Kaurismäki, although Covi and Frimmel rarely mimic the Finnish auteur’s deadpan style of humor.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
  • The two gin monoliths, like so much of the visual design of the film, gave production designer Suzie Davies and her team the chance to reach the apex of a feeling — whether anger, sadness, despair, or desire.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Boaters can also camp on their boats, which is the perfect opportunity to stargaze after dark.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
  • The orange juice is cold and freshly pressed, the espresso dark and strong, the tea served with a strainer (because proper leaves are used).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • There are so many obvious comparisons to be made between Team USA’s win over Canada, and its victory against the Soviet Union with one glaring distinction.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2026
  • But over the last year, much of the national conversation has drifted toward Pacific Palisades and away from Altadena — despite glaring shortcomings in both fires that deserve scrutiny and accountability.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As Europe's political climate darkens against refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants, with governments including that of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni focusing resources on limiting new arrivals, Milan is taking a stand for a different approach.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Look out for the dark forms of Mare Crisium and Mare Fecunditatis darkening the sunlit wedge of Earth's satellite, which formed when ancient lava flows flooded networks of impact craters before hardening many millions of years ago.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Tobacco parallels The Los Angeles trial centers on allegations made by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, and her mother that four social media giants intentionally designed addictive platforms that hooked her as a child and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression.
    Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Today, Hirsch points out, depression glass is a valuable collectible, particularly in its prettiest pastel colors.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Trump drops f-bombs, and others are following suit Some lawmakers are worried because the most offensive language about procreation and defecation has emerged from the shadows and into everyday discourse.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Then, through the upstairs window, moving shadows can be seen.
    Lauren A. White, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • He was picked up first on meth charges on May 14, 1986, according to news reports and a San Francisco police booking photo, which shows him in a blue hoodie scowling into the camera.
    Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Then there was that image circulating in the bowels of the internet that showed a man who looked exactly like JD scowling at an unidentifiable brunette woman in a restaurant.
    Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Turner plays the middle brother with intriguing melancholy and an almost alien detachment, which works within the world this film creates, but not necessarily for a main character.
    David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.
    Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloom. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on gloom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster