gloomier; gloomiest
1
a
: partially or totally dark
especially : dismally and depressingly dark
gloomy weather
b
: having a frowning or scowling appearance : forbidding
a gloomy countenance
c
: low in spirits : melancholy
2
a
: causing gloom : depressing
a gloomy story
a gloomy landscape
b
: lacking in promise or hopefulness : pessimistic
gloomy prophecies
a gloomy future
gloomily adverb
gloominess 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
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.
Target is heading into the holiday season with a gloomy outlook, with the retailer reporting its sales and profit fell short of analysts' expectations and lowering its earnings forecast for the current quarter. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024 Television news always seems like a series of gloomy, negative stories. Jason Richmond, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 This gloomy perception does not sit well with Khosla, who said during an interview last week that UCSD has been working tirelessly to make sure that fun is central to a school that puts students through three grueling, 10-week quarters a year. Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2024 Despite the gloomy 2022 pre-election polling outlook, polls ended up performing exceptionally well that year. Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gloomy 

Word History

Etymology

see gloom entry 1

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gloomy was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near gloomy

Cite this Entry

“Gloomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gloomy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on gloomy

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!