bleak

adjective

ˈblēk How to pronounce bleak (audio)
Definition of bleaknext
1
as in depressing
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions it was a dark and bleak wintry day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool a bleak December morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bleak contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bleak are cheerless, desolate, dismal, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When is cheerless a more appropriate choice than bleak?

The words cheerless and bleak can be used in similar contexts, but cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

In what contexts can desolate take the place of bleak?

The meanings of desolate and bleak largely overlap; however, desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

When might dismal be a better fit than bleak?

The synonyms dismal and bleak are sometimes interchangeable, but dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

Where would dreary be a reasonable alternative to bleak?

While the synonyms dreary and bleak are close in meaning, dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When would gloomy be a good substitute for bleak?

The words gloomy and bleak are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bleak In a 500-credit-score community, whether in urban Atlanta or rural Appalachia, the financial landscape is bleak. — John Hope Bryant, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025 Rocket Lab shares dropped 5.75% after the company issued a bleak outlook. — Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025 In that vein, a much more modulated than usual ex-Obama era White House Chief of Staff and Chicago mayor Emanuel painted a bleak realpolitick picture of the world. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025 Rather than go the standard route of name-checking a bunch of the year’s nominees in one-liners, Wood, a second-time host, explicitly connected most of his jokes back to the country’s bleak political reality. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bleak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleak
  1. depressing
  2. turbulent
  3. chilly
  4. somber
  5. rainy
  6. chilling
  7. dark
  8. snowy
Adjective
  • Still, overall traffic expectations in Meridian are basically pretty depressing.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Depending on your point of view, either the depressing vibes outweigh the gorgeous animation or the gorgeous animation outweighs the depressing vibes.
    — Jeremy Fassler, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • The turbulent decade that saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King’s assassination, and the Vietnam War meant that home viewers were more open to escapism and entertainment that would whisk them away from the world's horrors.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Outside of turbulent foreign relations, the election comes at a critical time in Hollywood as the entertainment industry faces unprecedented uncertainty due to AI and plummeting profits.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • The hotel’s in-house Palace Sports & Rentals features a ski room with heated lockers, a convenient way to start and end a chilly day.
    — Alexandra Cheney, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Pascal Plante’s chilly Quebecois techno-thriller isn’t about content moderation per se, but its descent-into-hell structure is — intentionally or not — mimicked here.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of chilly
Adjective
  • Field’s somber, clear-eyed Sonya has ardent desires but few illusions.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Scottish murder trials were focuses of intense interest as well as somber legal proceedings.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The fish live in seasonal pools and ponds formed during the rainy season and lay their eggs in the muddy ground.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The beginning of the workweek could be rainy with a 40% chance of precipitation and high near 60.
    — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • Tacked on lamp posts throughout the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, these posters contained chilling and clear orders.
    — Mary LaPorte, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
  • In an appearance on CNBC Wednesday, Slaughter warned that the firings could have a chilling effect even on Republican commissioners.
    — Kevin Collier, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • An adults-only drama about an exotic dancer's entanglements with a rich family (and its many secrets), Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black is dark, violent, and scandalous, with storylines revolving around murder, blackmail, and human trafficking.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Boat Rocker’s slate currently comprises the likes of 1980s throwback dark comedy Video Nasty, drama series Mix Tape and Jesse Moss and Tony Gerber’s Sundance 2024 doc War Game.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • And the snowy imagery in the promo art and your single’s cover definitely shouts Colorado.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Movement was spotted in the third egg via livestream on Thursday as the days-old hatchlings nestled in their snowy Big Bear nest.
    — Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of snowy

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Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bleak

Nglish: Translation of bleak for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bleak

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