gloom 1 of 2

1
2

gloom

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to glare
to look with anger or disapproval we just sat there, glooming, as we waited and waited for our dinners to arrive

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to darken
to take on a gloomy or forbidding look he continued to gloom over the fact that he had been passed over for promotion to district manager

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gloom
Noun
His nose is long and pointed, piercing the gloom like a warhead. Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025 Set in Taiwan in 1988, the intergenerational drama revolves around Hsiao-lee, a quiet and withdrawn girl, growing up in silent gloom. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 July 2025
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 See All Example Sentences for gloom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloom
Noun
  • The stand is self-service from noon to dark (around 8 p.m.).
    Cathy Kozlowicz, jsonline.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • There’s a special name to describe wildlife that is most active during those twilight times just before dark or dawn.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • The article dove deep into the glaring uptick in numbers of single Black women.
    Essence, Essence, 18 Aug. 2025
  • There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Smoke from wildfires will travel thousands of miles to darken our skies and choke our lungs.
    Madhukar Pai, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Also, keep in mind that aniline leather has a tendency to darken slightly over time.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Forecasters said in an Aug. 18 advisory that environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form during the latter part of this week.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The hurricane center has already identified a tropical wave behind Erin that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next seven days.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But after the initial five seconds of being off-leash and staring at Han, Swanson took his chance.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
  • For a moment, while the nation stared at her from their living rooms, this woman had closed her eyes.
    Deborah Levy, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Read More: When TikTok Trends Send Kids to the Emergency Room In Western culture, open grief is often frowned upon, Giaxoglou says.
    Alessandra Schade, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
  • While slathering yourself with oil and laying out in the sun is highly (and rightfully) frowned upon in the beauty community, there is one type of oil that dermatologists stand by: the best SPF tanning oils.
    Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Lacy’s new music maintains his sly sense of humor, but with a barefaced melancholy that pushes it to new emotional depths.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
  • More often than not, the film’s nostalgia is sweet and enjoyable because it is paired with the melancholy that comes from all the acknowledgments of the actors from the original who died over the last 29 years.
    Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • Southern Illinois once again plunged into darkness on April 8, 2024, and onlookers offered a standing ovation for the last total solar eclipse the contiguous U.S. would see for the next two decades.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Within months, welders had carried out corrective work under the cover of darkness.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloom. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gloom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!