bleak

adjective

ˈblēk How to pronounce bleak (audio)
bleaker; bleakest
Synonyms of bleak
1
: exposed and barren and often windswept
a bleak landscape
bleak soils
2
: cold, raw
a bleak November evening
3
a
: lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness : grim
a bleak prison documentary
b
: not hopeful or encouraging : depressing
a bleak prognosis
a bleak outlook
the future looks bleak
c
: severely simple or austere
a bleak hotel room
bleakly adverb
bleakness noun

Synonyms of bleak

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dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Examples of bleak in a Sentence

a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season it was a dark and bleak wintry day
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Using the pretense of a documentary film crew, the show follows the excruciatingly dull workday experiences of a paper supply company in a drab office in a bleak industrial estate in Slough, England. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 India's quarterly economic growth has exceeded expectations several times over the past year, defying a bleak global trade environment, high energy prices and geopolitical uncertainties. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 But despite the hardship, the mise en scène presented is far from bleak. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 In its bleakest moments, the novel suggests that the ordeal of being gay in a venomously bigoted society negates its bounty. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bleak

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bleke pale; probably akin to Old English blāc

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bleak was in 1574

Rhymes for bleak

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleak. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bleak

adjective
ˈblēk How to pronounce bleak (audio)
1
: open to wind or weather
a bleak coast
2
: cold entry 1 sense 1, raw
a bleak November evening
3
: dreary, cheerless
the future looks bleak
4
: very plain
bleakly adverb
bleakness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bleak

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bleak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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