Glummest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the darkest or most melancholy mood or expression among a group
2. Showing the greatest level of sadness, gloom, or sulkiness compared to others
3. Displaying the most downcast, moody, or unhappy demeanor in a particular setting

Etymology: "Glummest" is the superlative of "glum," and the adjective's history is one of gradual darkening. Its earliest ancestor was the Middle English verb "glomen" (also spelled "glommen" or "gloumben"), meaning to frown or look sullen, which was formed from a noun "gloom" that preserves an older sense of dullness. The noun "glome" came later, formed from that verb, so the frowning look came before the mood itself was named. The adjective may instead come from Middle Low German "glum," a word for gloomy or troubled, and it is related to a German dialect word "glumm" meaning gloomy, troubled, or turbid. Scholars favour a link to that German-speaking world, and the two strands probably met, so that "glum" carries both a sullen face and a murky, clouded mood.

Synonyms: saddest, most despondent

Antonyms: happiest, cheeriest