bleakness

NOUN

barrenness

Synonyms

STRONG

aridity aridness emptiness underdevelopment

Antonyms

WEAK

fecundity fertility fruitfulness

NOUN

depression

Synonyms

STRONG

abasement abjection blahs bummer cheerlessness dejection desolation desperation despondency discouragement dispiritedness distress dole dolefulness dolor downheartedness dreariness dullness dumps ennui gloom gloominess heavyheartedness hopelessness lowness melancholia melancholy misery mortification qualm sadness sorrow trouble unhappiness vapors woefulness worry

WEAK

abjectness blue funk disconsolation heaviness of heart lugubriosity the blues

Antonyms

STRONG

advantage benefit blessing cheer comfort contentedness contentment encouragement gladness happiness hopefulness joy liveliness peace pleasure

WEAK

bulge cheerfulness convexity hope protuberance recovery surge

NOUN

desolation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

devastation isolation loneliness solitude

STRONG

bareness desert dissolution extinction forlornness ruin solitariness waste wildness wreck

Antonyms

STRONG

construction creation development

WEAK

cheer civilization comfort happiness joy

NOUN

gloom

Synonyms

STRONGEST

cloud shadow

STRONG

cloudiness dimness dullness dusk duskiness gloominess murk murkiness obscurity shade twilight

Antonyms

WEAK

animation brightness cheer contentedness encouragement happiness joy light sparkle sunniness vivaciousness

NOUN

sadness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

anguish grief heartache heartbreak hopelessness melancholy misery mourning poignancy sorrow

STRONG

blahs bummer cheerlessness dejection despondency disconsolateness dispiritedness distress dolefulness dolor downer dysphoria forlornness funk gloominess letdown listlessness moodiness mopes mournfulness sorrowfulness tribulation woe

WEAK

blue devils blue funk broken heart dismals downcastness grieving heavy heart the blues the dumps

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheer delight happiness joy

STRONG

advantage benefit comfort

WEAK

gladness

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.

Mezzo Kelsey Lauritano’s Erika got a few lyrical moments, including her signature aria, “Must the winter come so soon,” which was briefly reprised—unnecessarily—to drive home the bleakness of the ending.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

"I see absolutely nothing to be gained for women's tennis - I see only bleakness," she told BBC Sport.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

I’ve upgraded to glass, hoping that a sturdier vessel might redeem the bleakness of four-day-old poultry.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2025

The color palette, moving from dark to light and back again, charts a precise course into lyrical bleakness.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2024

I grew silent and reserved as the nature of the world in which I lived became plain and undeniable; the bleakness of the future affected my will to study.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

bleakness

Example Sentences

Related Words