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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
it was a dark and bleak wintry day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool
a bleak December morning
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleak
Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Restaurants were closed, staff were furloughed, and the broad outlook on the hospitality industry’s future was, in a word, bleak.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The reversal is notable because this traditionally bleak indicator had been trending more positively under Trump's second term—until now.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
The novel’s worldview is bleak beyond imagining, which itself is no great sin, but the mechanism of that bleakness seems particularly cruel.
—Book Marks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Restaurants were closed, staff were furloughed, and the broad outlook on the hospitality industry’s future was, in a word, bleak.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The reversal is notable because this traditionally bleak indicator had been trending more positively under Trump's second term—until now.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
The novel’s worldview is bleak beyond imagining, which itself is no great sin, but the mechanism of that bleakness seems particularly cruel.
—Book Marks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleak
Adjective
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For women, the situation is even more depressing with 90% of women excluded from the workforce, unable to work outside their homes.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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And blame can be depressing; accepting responsibility for something that went terribly wrong is often painful and embarrassing.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Wander the ruins of Cristóvão de Moura’s palace, a poignant echo of Portugal’s turbulent entanglement with Spanish rule.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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All died in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan while vacationing in South Haven, where public outrage over the lack of lifeguards has been building.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The tour included a chilly ice-cool tunnel, set up to mirror the cooling effect of Air 10's Ice Cooling tech.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
16 July 2025
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On a chilly night in April 2023, Charlotte Walker got a text message.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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In Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s energetic capital, golden spires of the Royal Palace gleam above the river, while visits to the Killing Fields reveal the city’s somber history.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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The convention, originally planned as a celebratory coronation, transformed into a tense, somber, and ultimately pivotal gathering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Special agents alongside local law enforcement spent their rainy Wednesday going to businesses all over South Florida, including gas stations, grocery stores and retail stores.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
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European cities are much more similar in road conditions than their U.S. peers where sunny Phoenix, Arizona, with its wide streets, is far easier for self-driving cars to master than the narrow cross-streets of cold and rainy New York City.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Mass deportations and tighter immigration controls could also have a chilling effect on authorized immigration, including workers and students in STEM fields, which could slow the development of new technologies.—
Claudia Sahm,
Mercury News,
29 July 2025
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One of the most significant impacts of hateful expressions, including the graffiti in Hyde Park and the mural defacement in Pilsen, is its chilling effect on the rest of a community, Mello said.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Transformed into a swan by the evil sorcerer Rothbart, Odette and Siegfried's love faces an impossible battle against dark forces.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
22 July 2025
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The other dark money entity paying for ads that promote a candidate is 5Plus1, which has been spending oodles on billboards and campaign literature mailed to Detroiters that promote Sheffield, the city council president.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Travelers who head to the park in the winter will find fewer crowds and plenty of snowy adventures, including the chance to traverse the park on skis, snowshoes, or by snowmobile.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
19 July 2025
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There’s no tactile joy to dress up the rudimentary chase — no random rainstorms ripping through camp, no snowy mountaintops on summer days, no campfires, no canoe trips, no sense of the wild.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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