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

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

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

No, the picture is not entirely doom and gloom — the push for renewable energy is breaking all kinds of records, too, reaching roughly 50% of global energy capacity last year.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Under the best-in-class floodlights at Tottenham, the finale of Saracens v Northampton played out in HD technicolour compared to the relative gloom of Kingston Park and Exeter's win over Newcastle Red Bulls.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Through all of this, the film remains focused on human experience, rendered with something approaching optimism despite the radioactive gloom that surrounds it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The gloom that usually clouded his mind was banished by the light of the magic on his skin.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

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