GLOOMS Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

glooms

verb

present tense third-person singular of gloom

as in glares

to look with anger or disapproval we just sat there, glooming, as we waited and waited for our dinners to arrive

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in darkens

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for glooms

Verb

My eleven-year-old self rolls her eyes, glares at my thirty-six-year-old body, and silently calls me fat.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025

Definition of glares

Verb

The stream will feature real-time views of the Sturgeon Moon as Earth's shadow darkens its surface in the skies above Portugal and Spain, weather permitting.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
The planet becomes easier to identify as the sky darkens, making the best time for viewing during the late-night and early-morning hours.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of darkens

Verb

However, there has been a growing edge to Denver’s current group, personified on the field in the way safety Talanoa Hufanga flies to the ball and in the way Cooper scowls under his eye black.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
How often do smiles express happiness and scowls express anger?

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2020

Definition of scowls

Verb

Which is why her character flicks through YouTube plastic surgery videos and stares at older women on the bus, comparing her wrinkles and checking her neck for any signs of sagging.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026
Taped to the glass divider of Ryan McMahon’s locker, a drawing of Trent Grisham stares at the Yankees’ clubhouse.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of stares

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.

Browse Nearby Words

glooming

glooms

gloomy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Glooms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glooms. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of glooms

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes