gloomy

adjective

ˈglü-mē

gloomier; gloomiest

Synonyms of gloomy next

: partially or totally dark

especially : dismally and depressingly dark

gloomy weather

: having a frowning or scowling appearance : forbidding

a gloomy countenance

: low in spirits : melancholy

: causing gloom : depressing

a gloomy story

a gloomy landscape

: lacking in promise or hopefulness : pessimistic

gloomy prophecies

a gloomy future

gloomily

ˈglü-mə-lē

adverb

gloominess

ˈglü-mē-nəs

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for gloomy

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

sullen, glum, morose, surly, sulky, crabbed, saturnine, gloomy mean showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood.

sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

Examples of gloomy in a Sentence

We've had a week of gloomy weather. The news continues to be gloomy. She doesn't agree with their gloomy economic forecasts. His book paints a gloomy picture of the prospects for peace. I've never seen you looking so gloomy.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Despite the gloomy 2022 pre-election polling outlook, polls ended up performing exceptionally well that year. —

Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 Of course, in 2008 his gloomy outlook came true with the Global Financial Crisis, and markets have minded his insights ever since. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024 This calamitous stasis, coupled with Israel’s growing global isolation and increasingly gloomy economic outlook, contribute to a national sense of hopelessness and despair. —

Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2024 Despite all that, consumer moods remain gloomier than in pre-pandemic times, according to surveys. —

Bryan Mena, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gloomy