gloom

American  

[gloom] / glum /

noun

1. total or partial darkness; dimness.

   Synonyms:

   obscurity, shade, shadow

   Antonyms:

   brightness

2. a state of melancholy or depression; low spirits.

   Synonyms:

   sadness, despondency, dejection

   Antonyms:

   cheerful

3. a despondent or depressed look or expression.

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verb (used without object)

1. to appear or become dark, dim, or somber.

2. to look sad, dismal, or dejected; frown.

verb (used with object)

1. to fill with gloom; make gloomy or sad; sadden.

2. to make dark or somber.

gloom British  

/ ɡluːm /

noun

1. partial or total darkness

2. a state of depression or melancholy

3. an appearance or expression of despondency or melancholy

4. poetic a dim or dark place

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verb

1. (intr) to look sullen or depressed

2. to make or become dark or gloomy

Other Word Forms

• gloomful
  adjective
• gloomfully
  adverb
• gloomless
  adjective
• outgloom
  verb (used with object)
• undergloom
  noun
• ungloom
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of gloom

1300–50; Middle English gloumben, glomen to frown, perhaps representing Old English *glūmian (akin to early German gläumen to make turbid); see glum

Explanation

Gloom is a hazy darkness or dimness. The gloom of a moonless autumn evening is perfect for trick-or-treating, but not so perfect for sizing up your candy stash. It might make you nervous to walk in the gloom of your friend's rural neighborhood at night if you're used to well-lit city streets. And while gloom perfectly describes the near-dark of dusk or a foggy evening, it can also describe a dark, dismal mood. Your brother's gloom when his favorite basketball team loses in the playoffs will only deepen if your favorite team wins the tournament. Gloom is a Scottish word, originally meaning "a sullen look."

Example Sentences

However, it is not all doom and gloom for the Hammers despite their precarious position.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

The moderate exuberance that prevailed a year ago as Friedrich Merz ascended to the chancellorship and Berlin released its constitutional “debt brake” has given way to gloom.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon are plunged into gloom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Those trade-offs will likely contribute to the gloom of consumers, who are already in a funk.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

There was no electricity in this part of the house, but light filtered in from outside through a bank of windows, cutting bright lines through the gloom.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• anguish
• bitterness
• despair
• discouragement
• doldrums
• foreboding
• grief
• horror
• malaise
• misery
• pessimism
• sadness
• sorrow
• weariness
• woe