dismal

adjective

dis·​mal ˈdiz-məl How to pronounce dismal (audio)
1
: showing or causing gloom (see gloom entry 2 sense 2) or depression
the dismal prison twilightCharles Dickens
2
: lacking merit : particularly bad
a dismal performance
3
obsolete : disastrous, dreadful
dismally adverb
dismalness noun

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The Evil History of Dismal

In late antiquity, certain days each month, called “Egyptian days,” were regarded as inauspicious, probably as a relic of ancient Egyptian belief. By the Middle Ages, people took them to be anniversaries of the Biblical plagues in Egypt. There were 24 such days per year, and in Anglo-French they were called collectively dismal (from Latin dies mali, “evil days”), and this word was borrowed into Middle English. In time the “evil days” sense was forgotten and dismal was simply taken to mean “disastrous.” The noun dismal, meaning “swamp,” goes back to the 1700s when the marshy region in Virginia and North Carolina was named the Great Dismal Swamp.

Choose the Right Synonym for dismal

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 dismal in a Sentence

The show was a dismal failure. The team's record is dismal.
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.
Leading up to Sunday’s game, Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon was asked about the team’s vibe coming off a dismal home loss to the Tennessee Titans, its third consecutive setback. James Boyd, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 That most of the general population will raise no objections further ratifies that dismal conclusion. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025 But Russia’s hardware-manufacturing capacity is dismal. Justin Sherman, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025 There have been some downright dismal Disney+ MCU shows over the last couple years — sorry, Secret Invasion fans, if there are any out there — but this one just makes the cut for a list like this one largely through the sheer charismatic force that is Hailee Steinfeld. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dismal

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from dismal, noun, days marked as unlucky in medieval calendars, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin dies mali, literally, evil days

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of dismal was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Dismal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismal. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

dismal

adjective
dis·​mal ˈdiz-məl How to pronounce dismal (audio)
1
: very gloomy and depressing : dreary
dismal weather
2
: lacking in merit : particularly bad
a dismal performance
dismally adverb
Etymology

Middle English dismal "days marked on a calendar as unlucky," from early French (same meaning), from Latin dies mali, "evil days"

Word Origin
At the time of the Roman Empire, certain days of each month, called "Egyptian days," were regarded as inauspicious. These days of ill omen were probably a relic of ancient Egyptian belief, but their source had been forgotten by the Middle Ages. People then took them to be anniversaries of the plagues visited on Egypt in Moses' time—though there were 24 Egyptian days in the year and only ten biblical plagues. In medieval French the Egyptian days were called collectively dismal (from Latin dies mali, "evil days"), and this word was borrowed into Middle English. Any day of the 24 was a dismal day, but the original sense "evil days" was forgotten, and dismal was simply taken as an adjective meaning "disastrous."

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