as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
the morning bleakness prompted me to get a fire going
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Recent Examples of bleakness
But there’s also a discernible strain of hope and timeliness amid the bleakness in some of the most recent hits.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026
The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
Survey after survey underscore the bleakness.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
He was viewed as one of the country’s top coaching prospects — a ‘tracksuit manager’ who would play a hands-on role in training, and a welcome tonic after the bleakness of his predecessor Walter Smith’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This bleakness makes for numerous memorably tense sequences, including a blackout, a bus ride, a rendezvous at an aquarium, and, bizarrely, a screening of an early Disney cartoon.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
To find out more, Newsweek spoke with Pixile Studios co-founder Michael One and narrative designer Ruben, about designing a battle royale in this distinct format, building a global live service as a small indie team, and how cuteness and bleakness are not contradictions.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Harry is a grouch and Oslo is his trash can, which isn’t the way the city is traditionally depicted, with Santelmann making the descent into greater and greater bleakness seem organic.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Thus Cuarón is free to break the bleakness in his life with the surreal life where a kiss becomes the ticket for romantic flight into the skies.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026
The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
Survey after survey underscore the bleakness.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
He was viewed as one of the country’s top coaching prospects — a ‘tracksuit manager’ who would play a hands-on role in training, and a welcome tonic after the bleakness of his predecessor Walter Smith’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This bleakness makes for numerous memorably tense sequences, including a blackout, a bus ride, a rendezvous at an aquarium, and, bizarrely, a screening of an early Disney cartoon.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
To find out more, Newsweek spoke with Pixile Studios co-founder Michael One and narrative designer Ruben, about designing a battle royale in this distinct format, building a global live service as a small indie team, and how cuteness and bleakness are not contradictions.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Harry is a grouch and Oslo is his trash can, which isn’t the way the city is traditionally depicted, with Santelmann making the descent into greater and greater bleakness seem organic.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Thus Cuarón is free to break the bleakness in his life with the surreal life where a kiss becomes the ticket for romantic flight into the skies.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleakness
Noun
-
Not like my boyfriend’s family’s doorbell, with its complicated, seven-tone church melody that gives you spiritual chills and causes you to quiver excitedly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The brisk, nasty chill cast by the film may prove divisive; ditto its unapologetically ghastly characters.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Add the lime juice just before serving to preserve brightness and prevent bitterness.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
How did someone emerge from such darkness without becoming consumed by bitterness?—
Norman B. Gildin,
Sun Sentinel,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleakness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleakness. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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