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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 However, the rest of the roster could start looking bleak if the team invests too much money in a few players. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 The select fish species that may be caught on camera are the bleak, common roach, eel, freshwater bream, ide, perch, pike, pike-perch, rudd, and the white bream. — Moná Thomas, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025 The new film digs into that a bit with a backstory that begins with kid Snow and her parents in a musical number with pies and lots of dancing before things turn bleak. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 Voters were also asked to give one word to describe the Democratic Party, and the responses were bleak. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 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
  • Some people thought that was too depressing or whatever.
    — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Many learned the depressing answer only when trying to scan badges and getting rejected by security, which treated them more or less like trespassers.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Losses weren’t quite as dire as on Thursday for media and tech stocks, but the morning still signaled a glum end to a turbulent week.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
  • From playing a spirited college student in All American: Homecoming to navigating the turbulent world of Snowfall, Williams has mastered the art of transformation.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Some of our top picks include a six-piece set of packing cubes to help organize your suitcase, currently on sale for less than $20, as well as a convertible travel pillow for $10 that can transform into a blanket to keep you cozy on chilly flights.
    — Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2025
  • That said, nothing sounds worse than having bacon splatter on the stove or oven, or braving chilly temperatures to cook it on the grill.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of chilly
Adjective
  • The week continues to build excitement with the Celtic Cross Mass and Ceremony (this year on Sunday, March 9) and the beautiful and somber Sgt.
    — Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The mood at the event was anything but somber, though.
    — Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) will conduct tests this rainy season to determine whether the projects are improving as much as expected.
    — Courtney Heath, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Recent urban expansion and years of inadequate rainy seasons have significantly increased human-wildlife conflict in the area.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • This will have a chilling effect for founders and innovators in the crypto/digital asset space looking to build infrastructure, particularly involving privacy preserving technology.
    — Andrea Tinianow, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • But the vampires’ descent on the juke joint ups the suspense and becomes genuinely scary, at first with the unsettling charm of their ancient leader, Remmick (Jack O’Connell, chilling), and eventually the brutal carnage of their siege.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • The Page Turner sees the Page family consumed by the literary world — each in their own way — as its dark, foundational secret runs the risk of exposure.
    — Rachel Raposas, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • While the app only went dark for a matter of a day or so in the U.S., it was removed from the Apple and Google app stores for weeks, because federal law could have seen Apple or Google penalized for distributing it.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Snacks and Beverages Frosty Moon - Tucked away among the greenery of Celestial Park is the Frosty Moon ice cream stand, featuring a fuchsia ice cream cone ringed with gold orbits atop the kiosk, hinting at the snowy treats inside.
    — Samantha Neely, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Between 2020 and 2022, California recorded its driest three-year period—a trend reversed by a wave of wet and snowy weather in the state since 2023.
    — Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of snowy

Browse Nearby Words

bleaching
bleak
bleakly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on bleak

Nglish: Translation of bleak for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bleak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All