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dismal

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of dismal

1 causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

  • a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house
Synonyms of dismal

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber (or sombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched
Words Related to dismal

blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful

dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting

desperate, hopeless, pessimistic

lamentable, mournful, plaintive, sorrowful

colorless, drab, dull

dour, grim, lowering (also louring), lowery (also loury), menacing, negative, oppressive, threatening
Near Antonyms of dismal

blithe, blithesome, buoyant, gay, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful

encouraging, hopeful, optimistic

lighthearted, lightsome
Antonyms of dismal

bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny

2 causing unhappiness

  • the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship
Synonyms of dismal

depressing, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary
Words Related to dismal

deplorable, distressful, grievous, lamentable, unfortunate, woeful

discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing

affecting, moving, poignant, touching

discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
Near Antonyms of dismal

heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting

agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome

exhilarating, thrilling
Antonyms of dismal

cheering, cheery, glad, happy

3 extremely unsatisfactory

  • the quarterback's dismal performance suggested that he had not fully recovered from his recent injury
Synonyms of dismal

atrocious, awful, execrable, horrible, lousy, punk, rotten, sucky [slang], terrible, wretched
Words Related to dismal

bad, deficient, inferior, off, poor, substandard, wanting

contemptible, miserable, shameful

defective, faulty, flawed

low-grade, mediocre, reprehensible, second-rate

bum, useless, valueless, worthless

inadequate, insufficient, lacking

abominable, damnable, fiendish, odious, vile
Near Antonyms of dismal

choice, excellent, exceptional, first-class, first-rate, premium, prime, superior

adequate, sufficient

acceptable, satisfactory
Antonyms of dismal

bitchin' [slang], great, marvelous (or marvellous), wonderful

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about dismal

  1. Dictionary: Definition of dismal Spanish Central: Translation of dismal Nglish: Translation of dismal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dismal for Arabic speakers

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