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as in sad
feeling unhappiness how can you be glum after such a great day?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word glum different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of glum are crabbed, gloomy, morose, saturnine, sulky, sullen, and surly. While all these words mean "showing a forbidding or disagreeable mood," glum suggests a silent dispiritedness.

a glum candidate left to ponder a stunning defeat

When is crabbed a more appropriate choice than glum?

Although the words crabbed and glum have much in common, crabbed applies to a forbidding morose harshness of manner.

the school's notoriously crabbed headmaster

When can gloomy be used instead of glum?

In some situations, the words gloomy and glum are roughly equivalent. However, gloomy implies a depression in mood making for seeming sullenness or glumness.

a gloomy mood ushered in by bad news

How do morose and glum relate to one another?

Morose adds to glum an element of bitterness or misanthropy.

morose job seekers who are inured to rejection

When might saturnine be a better fit than glum?

While the synonyms saturnine and glum are close in meaning, saturnine describes a heavy forbidding aspect or suggests a bitter disposition.

a saturnine cynic always finding fault

When is it sensible to use sulky instead of glum?

The words sulky and glum can be used in similar contexts, but sulky suggests childish resentment expressed in peevish sullenness.

grew sulky after every spat

When would sullen be a good substitute for glum?

The meanings of sullen and glum largely overlap; however, sullen implies a silent ill humor and a refusal to be sociable.

remained sullen amid the festivities

When could surly be used to replace glum?

The synonyms surly and glum are sometimes interchangeable, but surly implies gruffness and sullenness of speech or manner.

a typical surly teenager

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of glum The rescue dog was captured looking glum, frightened that she would be left behind once again, as her owner packed around her. David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024 That might be a welcome reprieve for those of us who are usually glum during the holidays (just me?), but the blues can sneak up on anyone. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Dec. 2024 Ravens fans should take heart from his eagerness, even at the end of a glum weekend. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024 For those glum that Saks Fifth Avenue sacked its holiday sound and light show, take heart. Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 17 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glum 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for glum
Adjective
  • But bleak and uncertain as things seem right now, Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to lose Tampa Bay, the No. 11 media market, which is why the hope is for a deep pocket owner (or owners) from Tampa to emerge and the Tampa stadium plan near Ybor City can be revived.
    Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Suicide is pretty bleak for a Super Bowl spot, and mental health, in general, is a sensitive topic.
    Matthew Pittman, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Possibly chatting with his new security detail., which reportedly is a sad reality.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025
  • The sad truth is many of us saw this last year and knew nothing was going to change.
    Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • After running a somber ad in the 2024 Super Bowl aimed at fighting hate and bigotry, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism tapped Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady in a spot that had the celebrities squaring off against one another, ticking off reasons why people don’t like one another.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The mood within Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, where the awards took place, was relatively somber with each win for the Netflix musical.
    Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Man Shares Theory About Why Gen Z Are Depressed By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 20 A 24-year-old marketing agency owner who lives in Tampa, Florida, has sparked discussion after sharing this theory about why Gen Z is depressed.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Today’s youth can feel depressed by the state of society while remaining incredibly sensitive, inventive, and caring.
    Ben Croll, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • This misalignment impairs your sleep and concentration, and can leave you feeling irritable.
    Mackenzie Gamble, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Here’s one way to take your mind off a certain election that seems to have everyone tense and irritable these days — consider that Tahoe ski season is almost here.
    Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • But for people who are older and severely lonely, having an appointment to see their doctor might be their only social interaction that day.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
  • In a recent Harvard University study, every fifth American reported feeling lonely, and that number is even higher among young adults and seniors.
    John Hewko, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Laviolette puts lines in a blender Clearly unhappy with his team’s effort against Pittsburgh on Friday, Laviolette made drastic changes to his lineup.
    Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 9 Feb. 2025
  • Many users are rushing to social media to voice their complaints, with one Reddit thread picking up over 10,000 comments, mostly complaints from unhappy gamers.
    Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The mood in the room was somber and sullen following a 144-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
    Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2025
  • The New Daughter has an interesting, sullen mood and looks fantastic, but that just further accentuates how out of place Costner seems.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 1 July 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near glum

Cite this Entry

“Glum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glum. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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