gloominess

/ˈɡluːminəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡluːminəs/ (ame, ipa) · /-mēnə̇s -min-/ (ame, mw)

gloominess — noun

1. a feeling of sadness, low spirits, or lack of hope, often spread across a person

1.名詞C1
釋義

a feeling of sadness, low spirits, or lack of hope, often spread across a person or a whole group.

例句

A heavy gloominess settled over the office after Sivan announced the layoffs.

settle over + [place] for collective mood

Devika tried to shake off her gloominess by going for a long walk along the river.

shake off + gloominess for mood-changing actions

同義詞
  • melancholy

    more literary; suggests a thoughtful or wistful sadness rather than dull low spirits

  • despondency

    stronger; emphasizes loss of hope and energy

  • dejection

    shorter, more visible low mood; often after a specific disappointment

反義詞
  • cheerfulness

    everyday opposite — bright, lively mood

  • buoyancy

    literary; suggests lightness and resilience of spirit

用法筆記

Frequently uncountable and used with mood verbs like 'settle over', 'shake off', or 'cast'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes an emotional state of people; sense 2 describes the physical darkness of a place.

常見錯誤

❌She felt many gloominesses last winter.
✅She felt a lot of gloominess last winter.
💡gloominess is uncountable; do not pluralize.

2. a state of dim, poor lighting in a place that feels unwelcoming and makes seeing

2.名詞C1
釋義

a state of dim, poor lighting in a place that feels unwelcoming and makes seeing things hard.

例句

Eleni squinted through the gloominess of the old attic, looking for her grandmother's wedding album.

gloominess of + [enclosed space] for dim interiors

A single candle did little to lift the gloominess of the stone cellar.

lift the gloominess for brightening a dark space

同義詞
  • dimness

    more neutral; just low light, without the unpleasant feel

  • murk

    stronger; suggests darkness mixed with fog, smoke, or dirt

  • duskiness

    softer; suggests twilight-like shadows rather than deep darkness

反義詞
  • brightness

    everyday opposite — plenty of clear light

用法筆記

Subject is typically a place or interior (attic, cellar, forest, hallway). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about physical darkness, not feelings, though writers sometimes use it to set a sad mood.

常見錯誤

❌The lamp was full of gloominess.
✅The room was full of gloominess.
💡gloominess describes a space or atmosphere, not a light source.