1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the cold rain made for a gloomy day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
has been gloomy ever since the breakup with his girlfriend
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkened
being without light or without much light
that house would be less gloomy if some of the overgrown trees and shrubs were cleared away
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gloomy
Gennady Zyuganov, the longtime leader of Russia’s Communist Party, told the lower house of parliament that the meeting Putin convened with his ministers was the gloomiest in a long time, according to Reuters.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 May 2026
This gloomy mood coincided, discordantly, with Inter effectively breaking the back of the title race with 14 wins in 15 games.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The old media world is dying, and while that gloomy vigil bleeds into yet another dark hour, somewhere in the same hospital there’s a new world that’s about to be dragged into the light.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
With the announcement of a potential Ozzfest return and the gloomy splendor of Nine Inch Noize at Coachella, the contemporary festival landscape is fertile ground for dark, heavy music lineups.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gloomy
Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 May 2026
This gloomy mood coincided, discordantly, with Inter effectively breaking the back of the title race with 14 wins in 15 games.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The old media world is dying, and while that gloomy vigil bleeds into yet another dark hour, somewhere in the same hospital there’s a new world that’s about to be dragged into the light.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026
With the announcement of a potential Ozzfest return and the gloomy splendor of Nine Inch Noize at Coachella, the contemporary festival landscape is fertile ground for dark, heavy music lineups.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gloomy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloomy
Adjective
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The job market is showing intermittent signs of recovery after a bleak 2025.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
The outlook appeared so bleak that Alexey Miranchuk gestured to the heavens and said, if the team could acquire help from a higher power and get a road win, maybe the ship could be steered in the right direction.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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As major college athletics continues to shift into for-profit, these types of sad measures are expected to continue, and private equity will continue to creep in.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
And such a sad story for Positano, and this whole region.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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As scientists often find darkened teeth in ancient burials, other factors can contribute to a black appearance, notably the chewing of betel leaves.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a somber, aching sequence for Bernthal, which Storer shoots from down at his and Ireland’s level, in a long take that is now customary for this show.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
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When Francophiles aligned with Jefferson wore tricolor cockades, Washington’s men responded with sombre black ones.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wait times, and particularly in the emergency department, wait times were skyrocketing, patient satisfaction, and everybody was just generally unhappy.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
9 May 2026
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Sources have told Deadline that Fox was originally unhappy with the creative on Season 14 of the show, but collaborated with the creative team and was ultimately sated.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The rooms In darker hues with lots of hardwood and colorful fabrics, the rooms here don’t fall into your standard contemporary look.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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Forty-four of the 89 counties along Route 66 were sundown towns, communities where it was encouraged for Black people to leave before dark — or else.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Because what could be more depressing than just passively watching the world burn and melt and crumble?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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This level of security is a depressing necessity in modern-day Britain.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Children, yes, but families, grown-ups, single people, divorced people, cheerful people, depressed people, dog people, cat people, Dodgers fans, Padres fans, whomever.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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But there are some important factors that could lower their ceiling, namely depressed enthusiasm with some key groups, the fact that there are fewer competitive districts than ever before and the state of the redistricting battle.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gloomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloomy. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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