gloomy

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Dim and depressing because of a lack of light, as with a dark room or cloudy sky.

   Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a gloomy day, the day was gloomy.

   Patterns

   • a gloomy room
   • gloomy weather

   The gloomy cellar smelled of damp stone.

   It was a gloomy afternoon, with rain and heavy clouds.

   The hallway felt gloomy until we replaced the old bulbs.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Sad, hopeless or low in spirits, or showing that mood.

   Grammar: Often used about a person's mood: he looked gloomy.

   Patterns

   • gloomy about something

   He grew gloomy when he thought about the exam results.

   Her gloomy face told us the meeting had gone badly.

   Don't be so gloomy; things may turn out fine.

3. 3adjectivecomparable

   Offering little hope for the future; expecting things to go badly.

   Grammar: Used about forecasts and outlooks: a gloomy forecast.

   Patterns

   • gloomy about something
   • a gloomy outlook

   Economists issued a gloomy forecast for the coming year.

   The doctor gave a gloomy report about the old building's foundations.

   The team's prospects look gloomy after three straight defeats.

Word forms

Common combinations

gloomy weather

The gloomy weather kept everyone indoors.

gloomy mood

A gloomy mood hung over the office after the layoffs.

gloomy forecast

The gloomy forecast made investors nervous.

gloomy outlook

Farmers face a gloomy outlook if the rains fail again.

look gloomy

Why do you look so gloomy today?

Synonyms and how they differ

dismal

Dismal stresses something miserable and poor in quality, while gloomy centres on darkness or low spirits.

dreary

Dreary suggests dull and tiresome as well as dark, whereas gloomy leans more toward darkness and sadness.

morose

Morose describes only a person's sullen mood, never a place or weather, so it is narrower than gloomy.

somber

Somber is more serious and dignified, often used for solemn occasions, while gloomy can sound simply unhappy.

Opposites

Word family

gloom noun

darkness, or a feeling of sadness

gloomily adverb

in a sad or hopeless way

gloominess noun

the state of being gloomy

gloom and doom noun

an attitude of expecting only bad outcomes

Commonly confused: gloomy or glum?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “gloomy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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