Gloom: meaning, definitions and examples

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gloom

 

[ ɡluːm ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

feeling of darkness or sadness

Gloom is a state of darkness, or a feeling of sadness and lack of hope. It can be a physical darkness, like on a cloudy day, or a metaphorical darkness, like when someone is feeling down or depressed.

Synonyms

darkness, melancholy, sadness

Examples of usage

  • The gloom of the rainy day matched her mood perfectly.
  • He couldn't shake off the gloom that had settled in his heart.
Context #2 | Verb

to make dark or dull

To gloom something is to make it dark or dull. It can refer to physical darkness, like a room that lacks light, or to a figurative darkness, like a bad mood that affects everything around it.

Synonyms

cloud, darken, obscure

Examples of usage

  • The storm clouds gloomed the sky.
  • His bad temper gloomed the atmosphere of the party.

Translations

Translations of the word "gloom" in other languages:

🇵🇹 escuridão

🇮🇳 अंधकार

🇩🇪 Dunkelheit

🇮🇩 kegelapan

🇺🇦 темрява

🇵🇱 ciemność

🇯🇵 暗闇 (kurayami)

🇫🇷 obscurité

🇪🇸 oscuridad

🇹🇷 karanlık

🇰🇷 어둠 (eodum)

🇸🇦 ظلام (ẓalām)

🇨🇿 temnota

🇸🇰 temnota

🇨🇳 黑暗 (hēi'àn)

🇸🇮 tema

🇮🇸 myrkur

🇰🇿 қараңғылық

🇬🇪 ბნელი (bneli)

🇦🇿 qaranlıq

🇲🇽 oscuridad

Word origin

The word 'gloom' originated from the Middle English 'gloum', which can be traced back to the Old Norse 'glumr' meaning 'twilight'. Over time, the word evolved to encompass feelings of darkness and sadness. The concept of gloom has been present in literature and art throughout history, often symbolizing despair or melancholy.

See also: gloomily, gloominess, gloomy.

Word Frequency Rank

Position #9,095 indicates this is an advanced-level word. While not essential for basic communication, it will enhance your ability to understand and create more nuanced content.