glum

American  

[gluhm] / glʌm /

adjective

glummer, glummest

1. sullenly or silently gloomy; dejected.

   Synonyms:

   despondent, sulky, moody, melancholy

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glum British  

/ ɡlʌm /

adjective

1. silent or sullen, as from gloom

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Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• glumly adverb
• glumness noun

Etymology

Origin of glum

1425–75; late Middle English; variant of gloom

Example Sentences

Life would be awfully grim and glum if I couldn’t laugh at myself.

From Literature

The Agnus Dei begins in glum realization that there may be no compensation for humanity’s great sins when, again astonishingly without expectation, one of Beethoven’s uniquely wondrous melodies takes over.

From Los Angeles Times

She saunters to the seat across from Pua and me before realizing that Leo is alone, looking glum.

From Literature

So why, in this glum post-“Walking Dead” era, awaken our much-loved caveman from a good death to such a miserable half-life?

From Salon

He flew straight into a painting of a glum man on a glummer horse, put a claw through the man’s nose, and dropped to the windowsill, peeping in pain and fear.

From Literature

Related Words

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