Dictionary.com
definitions

glooms

[gloomz]
||

plural noun

the blues; melancholy (usually preceded by the).

RELATED CONTENT

Grey vs Gray
Grey and gray are both accepted in the English language. They refer to a color of a neutral tone between black and white, and can also be used metaphorically to convey gloom and dullness. However, gray is the more popular spelling in the US, while grey reigns supreme in the UK. For centuries, the one letter difference between gray and grey has left people wondering …
READ MORE
What’s The Difference Between “Cracy” And “Ism” In Government?
Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

doldrums, malaise, foreboding, sorrow, pessimism, bitterness, weariness, grief, sadness, despair, misery, woe, discouragement, anguish, horror, shadow, cloud, distress, blues, unhappiness

Origin of glooms

First recorded in 1735–45; see origin at gloom, -s3

gloom

[gloom]

noun

total or partial darkness; dimness.
a state of melancholy or depression; low spirits.
a despondent or depressed look or expression.

verb (used without object)

to appear or become dark, dim, or somber.
to look sad, dismal, or dejected; frown.

verb (used with object)

to fill with gloom; make gloomy or sad; sadden.
to make dark or somber.

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
Related formsgloom·ful, adjectivegloom·ful·ly, adverbgloom·less, adjectiveout·gloom, verb (used with object)un·der·gloom, nounun·gloom, verb (used with object)

Synonyms for gloom

1. shadow, shade, obscurity. 2. dejection, despondency, sadness.

Antonyms for gloom

1. brightness. 2. cheerfulness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for glooms

Historical Examples of glooms

British Dictionary definitions for glooms

gloom

noun

partial or total darkness
a state of depression or melancholy
an appearance or expression of despondency or melancholy
poetic a dim or dark place

verb

(intr) to look sullen or depressed
to make or become dark or gloomy
Derived Formsgloomful, adjectivegloomfully, adverbgloomless, adjective

Word Origin for gloom

C14 gloumben to look sullen; related to Norwegian dialect glome to eye suspiciously
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for glooms

gloom

c.1300 as a verb, "to look sullen or displeased," perhaps from Scandinavian (cf. Norwegian dialectal glome "to stare somberly"). Not considered to be related to Old English glom "twilight," but perhaps to Middle Low German glum "turbid," Dutch gluren "to leer." The noun is 1590s in Scottish, "sullen look," from the verb. Sense of "darkness, obscurity" is first recorded 1629 in Milton's poetry; that of "melancholy" is 1744 (gloomy in this sense is attested from 1580s).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper