1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the usual glum waiting room at the tax collector's office a cold, glum day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
how can you be glum after such a great day?
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3
as in pouting
given to or displaying a resentful silence and often irritability
a chronically glum and pouting child
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of glum
The brood includes an addled patriarch who often forgets to wear pants, an observant matriarch and, best of all, a glum but handsome son (Charlie Anson).
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Trout expresses optimism about quick return Angels star outfielder Mike Trout was in a jovial mood Friday, a far cry from the understandably glum tenor of his normal injury interviews.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The New York Fed’s latest Survey of Consumer Expectations data released Monday added more glum outlooks to the growing pile of sour sentiment readings from Americans at a time when unpredictable federal policies have caused uncertainty and recession fears to spike.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Losses weren’t quite as dire as on Thursday for media and tech stocks, but the morning still signaled a glum end to a turbulent week.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glum
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
Trout expresses optimism about quick return Angels star outfielder Mike Trout was in a jovial mood Friday, a far cry from the understandably glum tenor of his normal injury interviews.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The New York Fed’s latest Survey of Consumer Expectations data released Monday added more glum outlooks to the growing pile of sour sentiment readings from Americans at a time when unpredictable federal policies have caused uncertainty and recession fears to spike.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Losses weren’t quite as dire as on Thursday for media and tech stocks, but the morning still signaled a glum end to a turbulent week.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glum
Adjective
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Not all of Mythopedia is so bleak—just my favorite parts.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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When kittens Sam and Frodo were found, survival odds were bleak.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Malcolm and Henry prepare to return home, they are met with the sad news that Isaac Grant (Brian McCardie) has died, throwing Malcolm into a new leadership position.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Sep. 2025
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Happy for her but selfishly sad.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over somber music, the clip shows the late conservative activist’s widow, Erika Kirk, alongside friends and family, and images of the vice president helping carry the casket to Air Force Two.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
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Turning to a more somber note, it's been just over a week since the assassination of Charlie Kirk.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Because that’s the case, their actual margin opportunity is depressed.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
15 Sep. 2025
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This might be because people are a bit depressed.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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He was adopted two weeks later, but after 18 months in his home, Scoob developed a painful skin condition that caused his ears to bleed and left him extremely irritable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Breaking free from the isolation tax isn’t just about feeling less lonely.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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There are a lot of lonely people out there.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Kybella can be used as an alternative to surgery for patients who are unhappy with fat under their chin, also known as submental fullness, and have not seen improvement with diet and exercise, according to the manufacturers.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Folks felt exposed or excluded or some unhappy combination of both.—
Andrew Pasquier,
Them.,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mark, with his fighting regimen, is a lot to handle, but so is Dawn, who’s a rather sullen party-girl princess.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
1 Sep. 2025
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The President is a sullen bore, but Servillo’s performance is always a hair less moribund than the movie around it, and held tight by the sincerity of his ambivalence.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Glum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glum. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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