glum

/ɡlʌm/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡlʌm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgləm/ (ame, mw)

glum — adjective

  • glumpositive
  • glummercomparative
  • glummestsuperlative

1. feeling low and saying little, usually because something has not gone the way yo

1.形容詞C1
釋義

feeling low and saying little, usually because something has not gone the way you hoped

例句

Defne sat at the back of the bus looking glum after missing her train home.

subject + looking glum after [cause]

Talia grew glum when her brother chose the larger slice of birthday cake.

grow/become glum + when-clause for trigger

同義詞
  • downcast

    very close in meaning; slightly more literary

  • morose

    suggests a longer, more sullen mood with a hint of bad temper

  • dejected

    stronger sense of being knocked down by a setback

  • sullen

    adds the idea of refusing to talk, often with resentment

反義詞
  • cheerful

    everyday opposite — bright and talkative

  • upbeat

    positive and energetic, often about outlook

文法句型

glum about something

look/seem/sound glum

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or a group of people; pairs naturally with verbs of appearance like 'look', 'seem', 'sound'. The cause is added with 'about' + noun or an 'after/when' clause.

常見錯誤

❌I am glum the bus is late.
✅I am glum about the late bus.
💡'glum' takes 'about' before the cause, not a bare that-clause.
❌a very glum dog barked loudly
✅the dog gave a few glum barks before lying down
💡'glum' describes quiet low mood, so it does not fit with loud, energetic behaviour.

2. describing a place that looks dull and grey, with nothing in it that lifts your

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describing a place that looks dull and grey, with nothing in it that lifts your spirits

例句

The hotel lobby was a glum room with grey walls and a single dying plant.

a glum + room/place noun

Joaquín waited in a glum hospital corridor lit by one flickering bulb.

a glum + space lit/decorated in a dull way

同義詞
  • dreary

    the most common everyday word for the same idea

  • gloomy

    often adds the sense of low light, not just dullness

  • cheerless

    more literary; stresses the absence of warmth or joy

反義詞
  • cheerful

    of a place: bright, warm, welcoming

  • inviting

    actively makes people want to come in or stay

文法句型

a glum + place noun

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: the subject here is a place (room, building, street) rather than a person; the feeling is in the surroundings, not in someone's mood. Often paired with details of poor light, dull colour, or empty space.

常見錯誤

❌The party was glum.' (meaning the people there)
✅The room was glum, and so was everyone in it.
💡use sense 1 'glum' for people; reserve this sense for the look of a physical place.