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.

Head coach Brendon McCullum said England must deal with the "backlash" to their dismal 4-1 defeat in Australia.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

But “Stronger” returned dismal numbers at the box office, grossing just $7.7 million on a $30 million budget.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

It sounds dismal, but there’s a lot you can do to slow the aging process.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Muse said he expects Nvidia to return $1 trillion to shareholders over the next five years, making its latest share authorization appear a bit dismal.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

She and French later reconciled and they had another baby, a daughter, Marilyn, but their life together remained chaotic and dismal, living in broken-down houses, working long hours for little pay.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Vocabulary lists containing dismal

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Take the Bad with the Good: Bene and Mal

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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 9

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