GLOOMY Synonyms: 294 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'gloomy' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gloomy are bleak , cheerless , desolate , dismal , and dreary . While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise. // gloomy war news

Q: When might 'bleak' be a better fit than 'gloomy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to gloomy , bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten. // the bleak years of the depression

Q: When would 'cheerless' be a good substitute for 'gloomy'?

In some situations, the words cheerless and gloomy are roughly equivalent. However, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering. // a drab and cheerless office

Q: When is 'desolate' a more appropriate choice than 'gloomy'?

The meanings of desolate and gloomy largely overlap; however, desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect. // a desolate outpost

Q: When can 'dismal' be used instead of 'gloomy'?

While the synonyms dismal and gloomy are close in meaning, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess. // dismal weather

Q: Where would 'dreary' be a reasonable alternative to 'gloomy'?

The words dreary and gloomy can be used in similar contexts, but dreary , often interchangeable with dismal , emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility. // a dreary job

gloomy

adjective

ˈglü-mē

Definition of gloomy next

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the cold rain made for a gloomy day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sad

feeling unhappiness has been gloomy ever since the breakup with his girlfriend

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as in darkened

being without light or without much light that house would be less gloomy if some of the overgrown trees and shrubs were cleared away

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How does the adjective gloomy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gloomy are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dismal, and dreary. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

When might bleak be a better fit than gloomy?

While in some cases nearly identical to gloomy, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When would cheerless be a good substitute for gloomy?

In some situations, the words cheerless and gloomy are roughly equivalent. However, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When is desolate a more appropriate choice than gloomy?

The meanings of desolate and gloomy largely overlap; however, desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

When can dismal be used instead of gloomy?

While the synonyms dismal and gloomy are close in meaning, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

Where would dreary be a reasonable alternative to gloomy?

The words dreary and gloomy can be used in similar contexts, but dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

Examples of gloomy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That slump comes against a gloomy economic backdrop for China, which is still struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and is beset with inflation and a sluggish property market. —

Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC News, 12 Oct. 2024 While some of us will always feel the temptation to immerse ourselves in the gloomy and supernatural, the more potent form of escapism at play in this revival is nostalgia for the recent past. —

Judy Berman, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024 Detroit Jazz Fest shines through gloomy Labor Day weather This year’s festival also expanded its programming to include free jazz performances at the new state-of-the-art Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, located on the Wayne State University campus. —

Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 5 Oct. 2024 However, who says fall has to be considered dull and gloomy? —

Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gloomy

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gloomy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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“Gloomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gloomy. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

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Last Updated: 2 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of gloomy

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