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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
Adjective
  • That depressing fact gets reiterated many times, without much variation or additional insight, during Running Point’s 10-episode season.
    EW.com, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In this new techno-dating reality, the number of fights sparked by clothes being left on the floor would dramatically decrease, instead being replaced by not-at-all depressing scenes of men standing alone in their apartments talking to a speaker.
    Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025
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
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • Party leaders asked their members ahead of the address to maintain a dignified and somber presence in the chamber during Trump's speech.
    Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The mix of Black trauma and White philanthropy created a peculiar vibe in the event space, at once somber and thrilling, mournful and hopeful.
    Nicholas Lalla, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The outbreak was detected last year during the rainy season between July and October.
    SAMY MAGDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • His Burberry trenchcoat proved its versatility in London’s rainy weather.
    Kristen Tauer, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In a chilling twist of fate, in the film’s first location — a zigzagging, vertical staircase aside a dam in Portugal — a close friend of the group experiences a horrifying accident, captured on camera, that underscores just how perilous Storror’s stunts really are.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The Army veteran accused in the chilling murder of his wife, her father and a neighbor — as the couple’s 4-year-old daughter watched — made a brief appearance in court Friday morning and pleaded not guilty.
    Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • While it’s been nearly a decade since Markle was seen on the small screen, Rachel and her wardrobe remain as relevant as ever—especially with dark academia trending in fashion.
    Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 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
Adjective
  • And the snowy imagery in the promo art and your single’s cover definitely shouts Colorado.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
  • And while the locale looks peaceful in an overhead shot of the snowy mountain town, scenes featuring monsters, troops, battles, and explosions and gunfire follow.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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