gloomy goose

noun

A gloomy or depressing person; a downer; a gloomy Gus.

Meanings

noungloomy goose (plural gloomy geese)

plural gloomy geese

  1. informaluncommonA gloomy or depressing person; a downer; a gloomy Gus.

    Staring out at the distant horizon, she said, "I'm sorry, Erin. I didn't mean to be such a gloomy goose. I'm truly happy for you."

    1984, Luanne Walden, Forbidden Flame, Kensington Publishing Corporation, →ISBN, page 490
    2 more examples

    Lucy was strangely cheerful, animated with the sort of optimism that only a Hollywood scriptwriter could shamelessly contrive. "Come on, Eye-vin, don't be such a Gloomy Goose. We fought the good fight. Look on the bright side."

    2000, J. Lilly, The Cold Zone, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 115

    "No. There isn't. Now, you. Why are you such a gloomy goose? I mean, the two of you got to play a real, live game of Pat the Bunny." I said it with a wicked grin that she managed to ignore.

    2021, A. K. Pittman, Pudge and Prejudice, Tyndale House Publishers, →ISBN, pages 164–165

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

gloomy goose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gloomy%20goose

MLA

“gloomy goose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gloomy%20goose. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gloomy goose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gloomy%20goose.

Source: gloomy goose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.