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adj

glum

gluhm
adj
1
Sad, sullen, or in low spirits.
"He looked glum after hearing the bad news."
"The team sat in glum silence after losing the final."

How to Use Glum

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDown in the dumps — visibly unhappy or moody.

Common mistake

Similar to "gloomy" but "glum" describes a person's sullen mood, while "gloomy" more often describes an atmosphere, weather, or outlook.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
a glum face glum expression feeling glum

Word Forms

glummer comparative, glummed past tense, glums singular, glummest superlative

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He looked _____ after hearing the bad news.

Etymology

Probably from a Low German word related to "gloomy," describing a dark, sullen mood.

Rhymes for glum

See all rhymes for glum →
Definitions: FreeDict original editorial