Definition of BLEAKLY

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 of bleak from the Web

Several current and former NOPD homicide detectives, who were not authorized to speak publicly, described to The Times-Picayune in April a bleak workplace environment beset by inadequate staffing, excessive caseloads and dysfunctional management.

— ken daley, NOLA.com, "Pay raise on horizon for beleaguered NOPD homicide detectives, PANO president says", 1 June 2017
In Lebanon, the numbers were similarly bleak: 91 percent of Syrian households are in debt, owing an average of $940, while 70 percent live below the poverty line of $115 per person per month.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "For Syrian refugees in Jordan, a path to financial independence", 1 June 2017
The setting is bleak but spectacular; the pacing is slow but deliberate; the performances are non-actorly in the best sense possible.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "SIFF 2017: Highlights of the film festival’s third week", 31 May 2017
The model’s bleak projection for the Conservatives reflected the company’s latest headline voting intention figures, which gave the party the support of 42 percent, just four percentage points ahead of Labour on 38 percent.

— robert hutton, Bloomberg.com, "Latest U.K. Polling Shock Puts Traders in Dark as Election Nears", 31 May 2017
Hollywood just suffered its worst Memorial Day weekend in 18 years, an eye-popping omen for what’s shaping up to be a bleak summer box office.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "Essential California: Bella and Gigi Hadid's dad is in hot water over a house", 31 May 2017
When things were particularly bleak, my younger sister, Jess, often had to speak up for me.

— stefanie joho, Washington Post, "Negotiating cancer: Tips from one who’s done it", 28 May 2017
Recent news regarding national retailers tends to be bleak.

— michael c. dealoia, cleveland.com, "Revenue Conduit, Blu-Board are seeking startup spotlight: Tech Czar Talk", 28 May 2017
But no one has stepped up yet, raising the bleak possibility that the world's greatest aviation mystery may never be solved.

— associated press, latimes.com, "Search for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 ends after nearly 3 years", 17 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bleak'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bleak

Middle English bleke pale; probably akin to Old English blāc

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First Known Use: 1574

See Words from the same year

bleak Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of bleak

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

bleak