glum

UK: /ˈglʌm/ US: /glʌm/ ,(glum)

Inflections of 'glum' (adj):

glummer

adj comparative

glummest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

glum /glʌm/   adj., glum•mer, glum•mest. 

1. sad and in low spirits;
   dejected:
   feeling glum.
2. depressing:
   a glum prospect for victory.

glum•ly, adv. 
glum•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

glum  (glum), adj., glum•mer, glum•mest. 

1. sullenly or silently gloomy;
   dejected.

• 1425–75; late Middle English; variant of gloom

glum′ly, adv. 
glum′ness, n. 
Synonyms

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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

glum / ɡlʌm/ adjective (glummer, glummest)

1. silent or sullen, as from gloom

Etymology: 16th Century: variant of gloom

ˈglumly adverb

ˈglumness noun