gloom

 
Pronunciation: /gluːm/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1partial or total darkness: he strained his eyes peering into the gloom
  • [count noun] literary a dark or shady place: the meadow-hen floats off, to sink into remoter shades and ferny glooms
  • 2a state of depression or despondency: a year of economic gloom for the car industry his gloom deepened

verb

[no object]
  • 1 literary have a dark or sombre appearance: the black gibbet glooms beside the way
  • [with object] make dark or dismal: a black yew gloom’d the stagnant air
  • 2be or look depressed or despondent: Charles was always glooming about money

Phrases

gloom and doom

see doom

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb): of unknown origin