gloomygloom‧y /ˈɡluːmi/ ●○○ (comparative gloomier, superlative gloomiest) adjective 
The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy.2sad because you think the situation will not improve SYN depressed OPP cheerful: Anne dismissed these gloomy thoughts from her mind.► see thesaurus at sad3dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad OPP bright: It was a gloomy room with one small window.► see thesaurus at dark—gloomily adverb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a gloomy economic forecast
- A year ago it seemed that a peace treaty looked possible, but now the outlook is much gloomier.
- Evidence that the world's population is increasing faster than ever implies a gloomy prospect for humanity: starvation.
- I never liked visiting Dr Allen in his gloomy old study.
- Most political analysts are gloomy about the country's future.
- Professor Vardell was a gloomy man who never smiled.
- The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
- The world's largest chip maker gave a gloomy forecast for the first quarter.
- This latest survey presents a gloomy picture of the Russian economy.
- But even the gloomier numbers do not portray the scope for disaster.
- Domestic economic factors further complicated this gloomy picture.
- He looks somewhat gloomy and withdrawn.
- Sitting on the terrace or in gloomy corridors to hide their shame.
- The story is not entirely gloomy.
- Then, to our left, the outline of a tree rose out of the gloomy fog surrounding it.
- Victor is at a dark little table in a gloomy corner.
THESAURUS
with a lot of clouds: · The weather was cold and cloudy.· cloudy skies
(also gray American English) grey in colour, because there are dark clouds – used especially in written descriptions: · Mary looked out at the cold grey sky.
dark and completely covered with clouds: · a chilly overcast day
literary a leaden sky is grey and full of dark clouds: · Snow fell from a leaden sky.
dark and cloudy, in a depressing way: · The gloomy weather shows no sign of improving.
with thick low cloud that is difficult to see through. You use foggy especially about low-lying places: · a foggy day in London in November
with light low cloud that is difficult to see through. You use misty especially about places that are next to water or in the mountains: · a cold misty morning
with air that looks cloudy, because there is smoke, dust, or mist in it: · hazy sunshine
expecting that bad things will happen, or that someone will be unsuccessful: · He was pessimistic about the team’s chances of winning the championship.· a pessimistic view of human nature
having an attitude that is not hopeful and not expecting success, or not expecting the situation to improve, especially the economic or political situation: · The overall mood in the stock market is decidedly downbeat.· The chairman made some downbeat remarks about the company’s sales performance.· His assessment of the UK’s economic prospects is generally downbeat.
not having much hope for the future: · Environmental groups are gloomy about the future of our planet.· The article painted a gloomy picture of the human rights situation in Burma.
considering only the bad qualities of a situation, person etc, and not the good ones: · His negative attitude towards work was affecting his colleagues.· Why are you always so negative?
formal to expect a situation to have the worst possible result, because you know how bad the situation could be: · I hadn’t heard any news from her for over a week, and I was starting to fear the worst.
informal used about people who only see the bad qualities of a situation, even when other people might see better qualities in the same situation: · He’s one of those people whose glass is always half empty.
not happy: · She felt sad as she waved goodbye.· a sad and lonely figure· a sad face· a sad film
sad, especially for a long time – used about people and periods of time: · I was unhappy at school.· an unhappy childhood· He’s obviously a deeply unhappy person.
[not before noun] sad because you are away from your home, family, and friends: · She sometimes felt homesick when she first arrived in Japan.
[not before noun] informal feeling sad for a few hours or days, often for no reason: · Whenever I’m feeling down, I go out and buy myself some new clothes.· She’s been kind of down since that argument with Jack.
looking or sounding sad and without hope – used about people, places, and weather: · Why are you all looking so gloomy?· the gloomy immigration office· a gloomy afternoon in February
looking sad and disappointed because something you hoped for did not happen: · ‘I didn’t pass,’ he said, looking dejected.· a downcast expression· He was understandably downcast after the team’s loss.
especially literary looking or sounding sad: · the dog’s big mournful eyes· the mournful sound of the church bell· a mournful expression
looking sad and disappointed: · Don’t look so glum! Maybe you’ll win next time.· They sat in glum silence.
especially literary looking a little sad and thoughtful, because you wish that the situation was different: · She looked at him with a wistful smile.
if a place is dark, there is little or no light: · The room was very dark.· No, you can’t play outside, it’s too dark.· It was a dark night with clouds covering the moon.
a dimly-lit building or place is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright: · a dimly-lit restaurant· The church was dimly lit.
a dim light is fairly dark: · The camera can take good pictures even in dim lighting.· The evening sky grew dim.
a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or the curtains have been drawn: · The prisoner lay in a darkened room.· The play starts with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful: · The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.
dark and difficult to see through – used especially about water: · the murky waters of the lake· I could hardly see him in the murky light of the bar.
completely dark, so that nothing can be seen: · It was pitch-dark inside the shed.
a shady place is cooler and darker than the area around it, because the light of the sun cannot reach it: · It was nice and shady under the trees.· They found a shady spot for a picnic.
Longman Language Activatordark and with little or no light if a place is dark , there is little or no light: · Thick curtains covered the windows and the room was very dark.· I shrank back into the darkest corner of the room, and prayed that the soldiers would not see me.· No, you can't play outside, it's too dark.· It was a dark night and he was afraid they might get lost if they went across the fields.· Anyone who disobeyed him ran the risk of getting beaten up in a dark alley, or even killed.
completely dark, so that nothing can be seen: · It's pitch dark in there. I can't see a thing.· Inside the cellar it was pitch black.
a gloomy place or room is not at all bright or cheerful - use this especially in stories or written descriptions: · The bar was gloomy and smelled of stale cigar smoke.· I never liked visiting Dr Allen in his gloomy old study.
a room, street, or place that is dingy is fairly dark and usually dirty and in bad condition: · He ate lunch in a dingy little cafe next to the station.· The room was damp and dingy.
a darkened room or building is darker than usual, especially because its lights have been turned off or there are no lights: · The prisoner lay in a darkened room.· The production opens with a darkened stage, and the sound of a woman singing softly.
an area or building that is dimly- lit is fairly dark because the lights there are not very bright: · a long, dimly-lit corridor· Madame Gloriana led the way into a dimly lit back room.
an area, building, or room that is unlit is dark because there are no lights on there: · The path was unlit, and she needed a torch to find her way.· Behind the gasoline pumps the unlit garage stood like a huge black shadow.
expecting something bad to happen someone who is pessimistic always expects bad things to happen: · Don't be too pessimistic - we may still win the game.pessimistic about: · He's quite pessimistic about his chances of getting another job.pessimistic that: · Beron is pessimistic that a peaceful solution can be found.
someone who always expects bad things to happen: · Don't be such a pessimist - I'm sure you'll pass your driving test!
expressing an attitude that is not at all hopeful and showing that you do not expect success: · The latest economic surveys are more downbeat as a result of the recent decline in world trade.
not having or offering much hope for the future: · A year ago it seemed that a peace treaty looked possible, but now the outlook is much gloomier.· The world's largest chip maker gave a gloomy forecast for the first quarter.gloomy about: · Most political analysts are gloomy about the country's future.
formal to expect a situation to have the worst possible result because you know how bad the situation could be: · After I hadn't heard from him for several hours, I began to fear the worst.· Fearing the worst, police have called in reinforcements to help control the crowds.
when there is no hope of improvement or success · The firemen tried to stop the flames from spreading, but it was hopeless.· Remember, it's just when things look hopeless that you sometimes get a lucky break.
so bad that, unless you get help immediately, there is no hope: · The situation is desperate -- there are just not enough beds in the hospital.· Another two weeks without emergency aid and I'd think things could become quite desperate.
a gloomy situation is one in which there is very little hope of improvement: · This latest survey presents a gloomy picture of the Russian economy.· Evidence that the world's population is increasing faster than ever implies a gloomy prospect for humanity: starvation.
a bleak situation is one in which there is very little hope of improvement and will probably get worse: · His prospects of finding another job are bleak.· The future looked bleak for the Democratic party.
say this when a situation is so bad that it is useless to hope that it will improve: · The doctor has said there's no hope. She only has a few weeks to live.there is no hope of: · The prison was on a small, rocky island. There was no hope of escape.there is no hope for: · I'm afraid there's no hope for us, unless you can give us the help we need.
feeling sad or unhappy not happy, especially because a happy time has ended, or because you feel sorry about someone else's unhappiness: · She felt sad as she waved goodbye.· Don't look so sad! It won't be long until the next holidays.· There was such a sad look in her eyes.sad to see/hear/learn etc: · We were very sad to hear about Mrs Humphrey's death.sad to do something: · I was glad to be going home, but sad to leave all my friends.sad about: · It's natural to feel sad about it when your children finally leave home.
not happy, because you are in a situation, job, or relationship that you do not enjoy at all, and it seems likely to continue: · Neil was very unhappy at school.· Her parents' divorce left her feeling confused and unhappydesperately/deeply unhappy (=very unhappy): · She was desperately unhappy after Sean left her.unhappy about: · I felt so unhappy about what he had said that I just sat down and cried.
unhappy because something unpleasant or disappointing has happened, so that you feel shocked or you want to cry: · Don't be upset. I'm sure she didn't mean to be unkind.· The children were very upset when we told them that we wouldn't be going to Disneyland.get upset: · We'd better not tell Mum about what's happened. She'll only get upset.upset about: · Liz is very upset about her uncle's death.upset that: · "What's the matter with Rod?" "I think he's still upset that we forgot his birthday."
extremely unhappy, because of the situation you are in, especially because you are lonely, hungry, cold etc: · He sat all alone in his room, thoroughly miserable.· The poor miserable animals were starving, dirty and wet.· All the staff seemed to look miserable and the atmosphere was not at all pleasant.
unhappy because you are away from your home, your family, and your friends, and you wish you were back there: · My sister was very homesick when she first went to college.· They were both gazing out of the window like a couple of homesick kids.· Most people get homesick the first time they leave home.homesick for: · Sampras confessed that he was homesick for America after five weeks in Europe.
sad and disappointed because something you hoped for did not happen - use this especially when this is shown in the way that someone looks, sounds etc: · He looked utterly dejected when she told him he'd failed again.· Greg sounded dejected. "Anything wrong?" I said.· One glance at the doctor's dejected expression answered my question.· Kirkwood was a particularly dejected figure after their defeat.
sad or disappointed because of a situation or because something you hoped for did not happen: · Jamie seems very downcast at the moment. He misses Jenny terribly.· "You mustn't be downcast" he said. "You can always try again."· The photograph of her sitting on her own made her look lonely and downcast.
informal sad because something slightly bad has happened or you do not have much hope for the future: · Don't look so glum! Things aren't as bad as all that.· Monday morning? Feeling glum ?· Sorry to be gloomy. I've had a bit of a bad day.· The doctor was a tall gloomy Scotsman.· The glum expression on the England manager's face said it all.· Why are you in such a gloomy mood?
someone who looks wistful has a slightly sad and thoughtful expression on their face, especially because they are thinking about the past or want something they cannot have: · Simon's face grew wistful as he thought about his happy student days.· She looked at them with a wistful smile. "I wish I could go with you.''
looking or sounding very sad, as if something very bad has happened: · His voice sounded so mournful that tears came into her eyes.· I could hear the slow, mournful music of the bagpipes.· The dog lay at his feet, looking up from time to time with big mournful eyes.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Dickens painted a grim picture of Victorian life.
1making you feel that things will not improve SYN depressing OPP bright: The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy. (=expecting bad things to happen)· Scientists have produced a gloomy forecast on the effects of global warming.
Dickens painted a grim picture of Victorian life. (=giving the impression that something is or will be bad)· The report paints a bleak picture of the economy.
(=saying that something bad will happen)· There have been some gloomy predictions about the economy recently.
· Many Britons face the grim prospect of having their home repossessed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· It is perhaps important to redress the rather gloomy tone which has crept into this section, by making two points.· By the time the group reached Brescia, the clouds had descended again, and the factory was rather gloomy inside.· All of this seems to have painted a rather gloomy picture.· Using a historical analysis, Nehring and Van lest provide a rather gloomy set of forecasts.· The boy Jack - it was John in those days - was born into an uncertain and rather gloomy world.· This rather gloomy picture of the troubles of the daughter at home obviously does not apply in every case.· In this rather gloomy context, has the community development approach anything to offer?
· He hadn't realized the road would be so gloomy.· Never did the prospect look so gloomy for an army....· Our original fears were so gloomy, our expectations so low, that almost anything would be better.· The results were a very mixed bag, with some of them so gloomy they refused to be quoted.
· No doubt that was too gloomy a picture.· Leon Carvalho, the powerful director of Paris' Opera-Comique, rejected the score for being too gloomy for his audiences.· I doubt if my picture, though depressing, is too gloomy.· For fascists, however, Spengler's prophecies were too gloomy.· But I felt too gloomy to put myself into the greater gloom of the street.· But perhaps this is too gloomy and bleak a view.
NOUN· All of this seems to have painted a rather gloomy picture.· He brings a book of verse with a few gloomy pictures.· Domestic economic factors further complicated this gloomy picture.· Malthus' gloomy picture of human life seems to many contemporary commentators much too atomistic and adversarial.· He said a survey had disclosed a gloomy picture of growing waiting lists, homelessness, and repair problems.· There was one solitary corrective to this gloomy picture.· This rather gloomy picture of the troubles of the daughter at home obviously does not apply in every case.· They objected to being given an unnecessarily gloomy picture at first.
· Horror stories, complaints and gloomy predictions are plentiful.
The report paints a gloomy picture of the economy.2sad because you think the situation will not improve SYN depressed OPP cheerful: Anne dismissed these gloomy thoughts from her mind.► see thesaurus at sad3dark, especially in a way that makes you feel sad OPP bright: It was a gloomy room with one small window.► see thesaurus at dark—gloomily adverb