gloomy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
dark in a way that makes you feel sad or a little bit scared.
dimly lit or shadowed in a manner that evokes a sense of depression or foreboding.
Simple“The old house was gloomy and smelled of dust and old paper.”
In context“The forest became increasingly gloomy as the thick canopy blocked out the remaining afternoon light, making the trail difficult to follow.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
feeling sad and without much hope for the future.
characterised by hopelessness, low spirits, or a pessimistic outlook.
Simple“He has been in a gloomy mood since he lost his job last week.”
In context“Economists issued a gloomy forecast for the next quarter, citing rising inflation and stagnant consumer spending as primary concerns.”
SynonymsAntonyms
From gloom + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian glumig (“dark, gloomy”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.