gloom 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gloomnext
1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits has been in a perpetual gloom since his dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dark
a time or place of little or no light the gloom of a rainy night is the perfect setting for a mystery story

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gloom

2 of 2

verb

ˈglüm How to pronounce gloom (audio)
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

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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

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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
Inside, we were whisked away to a world of rain and candles and velvet and creepy houses and stormy, witchy gloom. — Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026 After Friday’s game, the gloom-and-doom on the North Side had disappeared, at least for the time being. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
Their allusion to the night refers not to gloom but to evening intimacies, the pianist and scholar Kenneth Hamilton said in an interview. — New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021 The more doom and gloom the policy makers incorporate into their scenarios before setting market prices and rules, the safer the grid can be. — Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 26 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for gloom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gloom
  1. sadness
  2. dark
  3. glare
  4. darken
  5. depression
  6. shadows
  7. scowl
  8. melancholy
Noun
  • Beat shows how so many of the sounds that were prevalent in the mid-’90s contained a unique, end-of-the century sadness.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • People can experience grief, sadness, relief, conflict or combinations of these emotions after any pregnancy outcome.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • One of the best things to come from the recent renovation was Notch8, the new lobby-level bar and restaurant, which serves excellent drinks in a dark, loungey atmosphere.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Look east and southeast after dark for the Great Square of Pegasus — four moderately bright stars (Scheat, Alpheratz, Markab and Algenib) outlining an enormous square.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Verb
  • But the data gap was particularly glaring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, potentially missing 75% of the population, according to a recent paper co-authored by CDC statisticians.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Tensions over the Middle East Another glaring issue the two leaders could discuss is the widening conflict in the Middle East.
    — Mariam Khan, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of glare
Verb
  • In its latest incarnation, designed by the firm S9, the curtain wall has darkened and the electronic billboards brightened, so that the tower resembles a TV mount, more apparatus than architecture.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of darken
Noun
  • The initiative’s goal is by 2030 to have empowered 3 million people to recognize the early signs of anxiety and depression, and take steps toward helping those.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to fentanyl, toxicology tests detected alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax; the muscle relaxant methocarbamol; and quetiapine, a medication primarily used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and, in some cases, depression.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • Films can end up looking too bright or too clean, revealing details in the shadows that Kubrick never intended audiences to see.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The man’s collarbones no longer cast deep shadows at the base of his neck, Shawn noticed.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of shadows
Verb
  • Nobody slouches in a great suit like West, and nobody scowls in a gorgeous coat like Miller.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Suzanne, the sulky, artistic type, scowls and pointedly ignores their noisy energy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of scowl
Noun
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy

Browse Nearby Words

gloms
gloom
gloomed
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Cite this Entry

“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloom. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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