noun

Gollum

GAH-luhm

Gollum (noun) means someone who acts obsessive, secretive, and twisted the way Tolkien's Gollum character does, especially over a prized possession. Example: “He gets all Gollum whenever anyone touches his phone.”

noun

Someone who acts obsessive, secretive, and twisted the way Tolkien's Gollum character does, especially over a prized possession.

"He gets all Gollum whenever anyone touches his phone."

"She hunched over her laptop like a total gollum, refusing to let anyone see the screen."

verb

To behave in a hunched, muttering, possessive way, imitating the character Gollum.

"Stop gollum-ing over the last slice of pizza."

How to use Gollum

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishActing like the obsessive, sneaky, "my precious" character from The Lord of the Rings.

Common pairings

go full gollum act like a gollum

Word forms

Gollumed past tense, Gollums plural, Gollums singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “Gollum” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He gets all _____ whenever anyone touches his phone.

Etymology

From Gollum, the tormented creature in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth stories, originally called Sméagol before the name changed to describe the strange swallowing noise he made.

Frequently asked questions

What does “Gollum” mean?

The word “Gollum” means someone who acts obsessive, secretive, and twisted the way Tolkien's Gollum character does, especially over a prized possession. In plain terms, acting like the obsessive, sneaky, "my precious" character from The Lord of the Rings.

How do you pronounce “Gollum”?

“Gollum” is pronounced GAH-luhm (/ˈɡɑləm/ in IPA).

How do you use “Gollum” in a sentence?

Here is “Gollum” used in a sentence: “He gets all Gollum whenever anyone touches his phone.”

What part of speech is “Gollum”?

Depending on how it is used, “Gollum” can be a noun and a verb.

How many meanings does “Gollum” have?

“Gollum” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: someone who acts obsessive, secretive, and twisted the way Tolkien's Gollum character does, especially over a prized possession.