gloomed; glooming; glooms
1
: to look, feel, or act sullen or despondent
2
: to be or become overcast
3
: to loom up dimly
: to make dark, murky, or somber : make gloomy
1
a
: partial or total darkness
b
: a dark or shadowy place
2
a
: lowness of spirits : dejection
b
: an atmosphere of despondency
a gloom fell over the household
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
- blue devils
- blues
- dejection
- depression
- desolation
- despond
- despondence
- despondency
- disconsolateness
- dispiritedness
- doldrums
- dolefulness
- downheartedness
- dreariness
- dumps
- forlornness
- gloominess
- glumness
- heartsickness
- joylessness
- melancholy
- miserableness
- mopes
- mournfulness
- oppression
- sadness
- sorrowfulness
- unhappiness
Examples of gloom in a Sentence
Verb
we just sat there, glooming, as we waited and waited for our dinners to arrive
he continued to gloom over the fact that he had been passed over for promotion to district manager
Noun
The painting captures the gloom of a foggy night.
He walked away, disappearing into the gloom.
the gloom of the forest
He was often subject to periods of gloom.
A cloud of gloom has descended over the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emiko Jozuka, CNN, 5 Oct. 2022
Our imperviousness to gloom is our own peculiar virtue.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2022
Andy Swift, TVLine, 24 Oct. 2024
After two years of doom and gloom, digital health deals are showing signs of life, with venture capital firms making more focused bets and interest rate cuts rekindling some of the COVID-era optimism around the sector.
—Tina Reed, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gloom 
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Verb
But, there is still gloom ahead for economies in the region.
—Emiko Jozuka, CNN, 5 Oct. 2022
Our imperviousness to gloom is our own peculiar virtue.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2022
Noun
And the evening wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Wilson family.
—Andy Swift, TVLine, 24 Oct. 2024
After two years of doom and gloom, digital health deals are showing signs of life, with venture capital firms making more focused bets and interest rate cuts rekindling some of the COVID-era optimism around the sector.
—Tina Reed, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gloom
Dictionary Entries Near gloom
Cite this Entry
“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gloom. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gloom
1 of 2 verb1
: to look sullen, discouraged, or depressed
2
: to be or become overcast
gloom
2 of 2 noun1
: partial or total darkness
2
: a sad mood
gloomily
adverb
ˈglü-mə-lē
gloominess
noun
-mē-nəs
gloomy
adjective
-mē
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