GLOOMING Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

glooming

verb

present participle of gloom

as in glaring

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in darkening

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for glooming

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 glaring

Verb

But at a festive National Day meal in Riyadh, where families dined while patriotic songs filled the room, there was a growing sense that the public mood may be darkening.

— Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
The title references Black Like Me, white journalist John Howard Griffin’s 1961 nonfiction book about darkening his skin to pass for Black in the Jim Crow South.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of darkening

Verb

That is one of the tantalizing questions bubbling up in A Talent for Murder, in which Helen Mirren embodies Highsmith in all her devious, scowling genius.

— Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Whether his teams were good or bad, his outspoken and occasionally scowling personality almost always commanded the room.

— Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of scowling

Verb

Before a first-down play from the Cleveland 20-yard line, Rodgers could be seen staring at the Pittsburgh sideline with his arms spread out, apparently waiting to receive the play from McCarthy.

— Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
More of the same people staring at the same problem in the same room.

— Duncan Wardle, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of staring

Verb

Looking on was Trooper Major, body camera footage shows, frowning in the sun as the deputies followed guidance from a portable defibrillator device.

— Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
This focuses readers on the all-black uniforms of the veiled pupils, who—in a long frame at the center of the page—sit between the looming, frowning teacher on the right and Marji on the left, who stands up to explain that her uncle was executed by the Islamic regime.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Definition of frowning

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.

Browse Nearby Words

gloominess

glooming

glooms

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of glooming

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes