dismal

[diz-muhl] / ˈdɪz məl /

ADJECTIVE

bleak, dreary, gloomy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

depressing dim discouraging disheartening dull ghastly horrible horrid miserable murky sad

WEAK

afflictive black boring cheerless cloudy dark depressed desolate despondent dingy disagreeable dispiriting doleful dolorous forlorn frowning funereal gruesome hopeless in the pits inauspicious joyless lonesome lowering lugubrious melancholy monotonous morbid oppressive overcast shadowy somber sorrowful tedious tenebrous troublesome unfortunate unhappy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright cheerful clear encouraging favorable happy intelligent joyful light luminous pleasant smart

WEAK

glad hopeful

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.

Stokes has not played since the end of England's dismal Ashes defeat.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Beaver is one of those manosphere gurus who preside over dismal power-of-positive-thinking seminars in hotel conference rooms where lost men gather for advice on how to win.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Things were looking pretty dismal across financial markets overnight: Crude-oil prices surged, and stocks trading in Japan and South Korea sank.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

If economics can be called the dismal science, I’d argue that eugenics might be called the narcissistic one.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

Even considering that all had been considered terminally ill when treated, Stone thought this a dismal outcome and recommended that the therapy be discarded.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

dismal

Example Sentences

Related Words