glum
[ gluhm ]
/ glʌm /
adjective, glum·mer, glum·mest.
sullenly or silently gloomy; dejected.
Origin of glum
1425–75; late Middle English; variant of
gloom
SYNONYMS FOR glum
moody,
sulky;
despondent,
melancholy.
Glum,
morose,
sullen,
dour,
surly all are adjectives describing a gloomy, unsociable attitude.
Glum describes a depressed, spiritless condition or manner, usually temporary rather than habitual:
a glum shrug of the shoulders; a glum, hopeless look in his eye.
Morose, which adds to
glum a sense of bitterness, implies a habitual and pervasive gloominess:
a sour, morose manner; morose withdrawal from human contact.
Sullen usually implies reluctance or refusal to speak accompanied by glowering looks expressing anger or a sense of injury:
a sullen manner, silence, look.
Dour refers to a stern and forbidding aspect, stony and unresponsive:
dour rejection of friendly overtures.
Surly implies gruffness of speech and manner, usually accompanied by an air of injury and ill temper:
a surly reply.
OTHER WORDS FROM glum
glum·ly, adverb glum·ness, nounWords nearby glum
Example sentences from the Web for glum
British Dictionary definitions for glum
glum
/ (ɡlʌm) /
adjective glummer or glummest
silent or sullen, as from gloom
Derived forms of glum
glumly, adverb glumness, nounWord Origin for glum
C16: variant of
gloom