glum

[gluhm]

adjective

glummer, glummest 

1. sullenly or silently gloomy; dejected.

   Synonyms: despondent, sulky, moody, melancholy

glum

/ ɡlʌm /

adjective

1. silent or sullen, as from gloom

Other Word Forms

• glumly adverb
• glumness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of glum¹

1425–75; late Middle English; variant of gloom

Word History and Origins

Origin of glum¹

C16: variant of _gloom

Synonym Study

Glum, morose, sullen, dour, surly all are adjectives describing a gloomy, unsociable attitude. Glum describes a depressed, spiritless condition or manner, usually temporary rather than habitual: a glum shrug of the shoulders; a glum, hopeless look in his eye. Morose, which adds to glum a sense of bitterness, implies a habitual and pervasive gloominess: a sour, morose manner; morose withdrawal from human contact. Sullen usually implies reluctance or refusal to speak accompanied by glowering looks expressing anger or a sense of injury: a sullen manner, silence, look. Dour refers to a stern and forbidding aspect, stony and unresponsive: dour rejection of friendly overtures. Surly implies gruffness of speech and manner, usually accompanied by an air of injury and ill temper: a surly reply.

Example Sentences

The first captivates via a young man’s earnest effusiveness; the second’s effusiveness, tainted by lovelorn glum, deepens.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As for the bad news: their education was now in the hands of the glum Russian tutor, Master Gogolev, who had formerly worked for the Babushkinovs.

Read more on Literature

As you can see, it was Penelope’s nature to try to cheer herself up when feeling glum.

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Meanwhile, consumers surveyed by the University of Michigan were glum.

Read more on Barron's

Everything is prim, but the picture’s mood is as weirdly glum as it is exuberant.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• depressed 
• dismal 
• gloomy 
• melancholy 
• morose 
• sad