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Definitions

bleak

[bleek] / blik /
ADJECTIVE
barren
Synonyms
STRONGEST
austere desolate dreary grim
STRONG
comfortless forbidding harsh lonely
WEAK
bare blank blighted cold desert deserted exposed flat gaunt godforsaken inhospitable open raw unpopulated unsheltered unwelcoming weather-beaten wild windswept
Antonyms
STRONG
hospitable
WEAK
pleasant
ADJECTIVE
depressing, hopeless
Synonyms
STRONGEST
black cheerless dark dismal grim hopeless sad
STRONG
discouraging dreary gloomy somber
WEAK
comfortless disheartening drear funereal hard joyless melancholy mournful oppressive unpromising
Antonyms
STRONGEST
bright cheerful encouraging glad happy hopeful joyful light pleasant sunny
WEAK
appealing comfortable comforting congenial nice

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hopes for a recovery in Germany this year following several bleak years have been dampened due to the energy shock unleashed by the war.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

The situation has felt particularly bleak in L.A.,

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

There is a bleak sameness to their contents—desperate pleas to be spared as innocents, loyal to the party and wrongly accused.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Separated from the Premier League's relegation zone only on goal difference and on their fourth manager of the season, things have been fairly bleak at the City Ground.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

A bleak season came upon the island—a rotting monsoon or a parched summer—and fruit supplies dwindled drastically.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee