1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
has been in a perpetual gloom since his dog died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Hope springs eternal in Mamdaniland Despite all the doom and gloom in Mets Nation right now, there are still 140 games left to play in the regular season, a point Mamdani emphasized on Tuesday.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
The poll, conducted at the beginning of April, adds to a picture of economic gloom in the US, as Americans worry about the affordability of gas and other necessities and express pessimism about the job market.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Hope springs eternal in Mamdaniland Despite all the doom and gloom in Mets Nation right now, there are still 140 games left to play in the regular season, a point Mamdani emphasized on Tuesday.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
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 prospect filled me with surprising sadness.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The bittersweet tale infused with humor and sadness chimed with the Cannes audience.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Concrete dust clotted the air, turning the afternoon dark.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
The light-dark contrast that is the hallmark of great lawn striping is achieved by simply bending grass blades to reflect light in a specific way.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Indiana walks away with a huge win, and the WNBA walks away with another glaring lesson in who actually drives the bus.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Following last year’s Louvre heist, a new report released by a French parliamentary commission on May 13 sheds light on glaring security deficiencies within the country’s cultural institutions.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Or, perhaps most dramatically, one such clustering happened some 66 million years ago when an asteroid collided with Earth, darkening the skies and likely wiping out the dinosaurs - and over half of all plant species.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
19 May 2026
-
But as soon as the Lumière Theatre darkened and the movie began to play, Driver slipped out of his seat.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Data from one primary care clinic in Los Angeles, shared exclusively with NPR, shows a sharp rise in anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among patients.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
Chronic circadian misalignment is associated with a 30-40% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, depression and anxiety.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
However, the actor does most of the heavy lifting, even as Nemes’ aesthetic approach drowns the frame in striking shadows — a contrast made deep and inviting by Mátyás Erdély’s 35mm photography.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Craters, shadows and rugged lunar terrain that were barely visible to the naked eye suddenly came alive in remarkable detail.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Modern tiki tends to take a lighter touch, using more abstract graphics, less imagery of women and scowling gods.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
But there’s more to Brind’Amour than the person fans see screaming and scowling behind the bench or stomping around the dressing room in a postwin video looking like some combination of Godzilla and Chris Farley’s famous Matt Foley character.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
While the actors are committed, poignant and warm, their upbeat tone doesn’t always blend well with the melancholy of the picture.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
These flashes of melancholy or yearning give the record complexity and depth, as well as stopping it from devolving into wackiness.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gloom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloom. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
