Glum is quietly sad. Morose is sad and in a bad mood.
Both words describe a low mood, which is why children swap them. The difference is whether there is bad temper mixed in.
Glum is simple sadness. When the football match is rained off, a glum face at the window is sad and disappointed, and a hug might help.
Morose adds sulkiness. A morose older brother sits in the corner after losing a game, answers every question with a grunt and snaps if you try to cheer him up. He is not just sad: he is in a bad mood, and he wants everyone to know it.
Quietly sad and in low spirits.
Similar: sad, gloomy, down
Gloomy, silent and in a bad mood.
Similar: gloomy, sulky, glum
Comprehension questions often ask how a character is feeling and what shows it. Glum and morose give different answers: one is sadness, the other sadness with irritation. Getting that detail right is often worth the mark.
Definitions and example sentences on this page are the ones a child sees inside Wordrealm, taken from our list of over 1,100 words. It is free to browse, with nothing to sign up for.
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test