Thesaurus results for DISMAL

dismal

adjective

ˈdiz-məl

Definition of dismal

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in depressing

causing unhappiness the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory the quarterback's dismal performance suggested that he had not fully recovered from his recent injury

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How does the adjective dismal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismal are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When is it sensible to use bleak instead of dismal?

Although the words bleak and dismal have much in common, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When could cheerless be used to replace dismal?

In some situations, the words cheerless and dismal are roughly equivalent. However, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When can desolate be used instead of dismal?

The words desolate and dismal can be used in similar contexts, but desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

In what contexts can dreary take the place of dismal?

The synonyms dreary and dismal are sometimes interchangeable, but dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When is gloomy a more appropriate choice than dismal?

While the synonyms gloomy and dismal are close in meaning, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dismal The latest executive orders come as the president has faced dismal approval ratings in recent weeks, and the war in Iran has driven up energy prices. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Aug. 2026 Over the winter, the state’s snowpack topped out at a dismal, historic low. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026 There, only 70 percent of departures leave on time, and a dismal 68 percent arrive on schedule. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 And his batting run value (which measures how many runs a hitter adds or loses for their team) is a whopping (or dismal) -14. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dismal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismal

Adjective

The past summer in Russia has also been shaping up as a bleak season for Putin’s Russia.

— Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Tyler Biadasz suffered a serious injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in practice this week, and the prognosis sounds bleak.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of bleak

Adjective

But even without it, there seems to be some truth to the idea that if these teams were terrible businesses, they wouldn’t be sold for billions of dollars.

— Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

The design featured an orange-and-black clown outfit, black gloves and a dark face covering with an exaggerated smiling mouth.

— Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
Funky black garlic hides within that mushroom melange, and the pie arrives dotted with a dramatic, dark tamarind sauce.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times.

— Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

As horrible news stories go, few could compare with what happened on a Greek holiday island Monday.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reelection campaign just got worse after Wednesday night’s debate in Sherman Oaks.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

Bookended by drone shots of the Macedonian countryside and a somber cello refrain by Novogradska, this 86-minute doc is otherwise composed of scoreless interviews with subjects seated in front of black curtains and captured in medium range.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
After that horrible 2011 stab at the scifi superhero with Ryan Reynolds in it, Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) returns in a more somber but certainly enjoyable eight-episode series on HBO.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of somber

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“Dismal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismal. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dismal

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