Glumness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The feeling or appearance of gloominess and sadness that affects a person's mood
2. A mood characterized by a withdrawn and somber disposition
3. An emotional state marked by dullness and a lack of cheerfulness

Etymology: Glumness is a straightforward formation: the adjective "glum" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. It descends from a Proto-Germanic ancestor, reaching Old English as "-nes," and it has been the standard way of building abstract nouns from adjectives in English ever since, so "glumness" is simply the quality of being glum, as "kindness" is the quality of being kind. The base word "glum" is the more interesting half. Its exact origins are uncertain, and its earliest senses leaned toward scowling and frowning rather than the broader low spirits it carries now. That gives "glumness" a visual flavour in its roots: it describes a face or manner that shows displeasure, which later widened into a general gloominess of mood.

Synonyms: sorrowfulness, sadness, melancholy, dejection, gloom

Antonyms: happiness, cheerfulness, joyfulness, elation, contentment