Gloomy

//ˈɡluːmi// adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone or something that is gloomy or pessimistic. informal

    "A word, finally, on how to go about this publicity business. If it should prove difficult to announce casts in the dailies, or at least in the weekly gloomies, it could surely be arranged that information be available, as soon as the casts are settled, at the opera house in question."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not very illuminated; dim because of darkness, especially when appearing depressing or frightening.

    "The cavern was gloomy."

  2. 2
    Suffering from gloom; melancholy; dejected.

    "a gloomy temper or countenance"

Adjective
  1. 1
    depressingly dark wordnet
  2. 2
    causing dejection wordnet
  3. 3
    filled with melancholy and despondency wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
disconsolategloomfuldarkdullsombersunless

Example

More examples

"I got gloomy and thought of giving up."

Etymology

From gloom + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian glumig (“dark, gloomy”).

Related phrases

doomy and gloomygloomy Gusgloomy goosegloomy octopuslook on the gloomy side

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.