glum

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

glum — 形容詞

  • 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

悶悶不樂

因不順心而沉默低落的心情

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.

Defne 沒趕上回家的火車後，悶悶不樂地坐在公車後排。

subject + looking glum after [cause]

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

弟弟挑走較大塊的生日蛋糕後，Talia 變得悶悶不樂。

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

陰沉乏味

場所昏暗單調、令人提不起勁

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.

那間飯店大廳是個陰沉乏味的房間，灰色牆壁配上一盆快枯死的植物。

a glum + room/place noun

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

Joaquín 在一條只有一盞閃爍燈泡的陰沉乏味的醫院走廊裡等候。

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.