bleak

It looked bleak through the first quarter Tuesday.

The catalysts are evident: inflation, high interest rates, a bleak job market, wealth inequality and stagnant wages.

As far as the Incorrigibles were concerned, then, their tutor’s late arrival, bleak mood, and greedy appetite were all signs of a perfectly ordinary morning.

The family are staring at a bleak winter ahead, with their home turned into rubble.

So when he says that knowing America has seen other bleak times becomes a bit reassuring, one might understand where he’s coming from.