LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“gloomy” in Latin

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

gloomy
PROPR., Dark, obscure, Vid:
IMPROPR., Of the mind, countenance, aspect of things, etc., tetricus (= serious in an exaggerated degree; of persons and their looks): tristis: moestus (of persons and their looks: tristis, also of events, seasons; tempora, etc. ☞ moestus = “naturaliter tristis et severus, σκυθρωπός” [Serv.] is poetical and post-Augustan prose: oratores moesti et inculti, Tac.). (The words are found in this connection and order.) tetricus et tristis (e.g., disciplina, Liv.): obscurus: occultus (dark, reserved, as to character; opposed to simplex, apertus): A gloomy countenance, supercilium (as manifested by the contraction of the eyebrows): vultus severus et tristis (Cic.): moestus et conturbatus vultus (Auct., ad Her.): to put on or have a gloomy countenance, moesto et conturbato vultu uti (id. ib.): a gloomy character, tristitia et severitas: austeritas (sour, stern, austere character): ingenium obscurum, occultum (dark, reserved): tetricus animus (Sen.): the gloomy aspect of the times, caligo temporum, anni, etc.; gloomy political prospects, tenebrae reipublicae (Cic., Prov. Cons., 8, 43): the prospects of the country are extremely gloomy, tenebrae caecaeque nubes et procellae reipublicae impendent (Auct. Or., pro dom., 10, 24): he said that he had never felt so gloomy, dixit... nunquam sibi tantum caliginis offusum (Plin., Ep., 3, 9, 16): a certain gloomy feeling proceeding from a guilty conscience, quaedam scelerum offusa caligo (Quint., 9, 3, 47): still more gloomy prospects, spes asperior: a painter who likes gloomy colors, pictor severissimus; pictor austerior colore (both Plin.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for gloomy?
The usual Latin words for “gloomy” are obscūrus, tetricus, trīstis; also moestus, occulō, disciplīna. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.