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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dismal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismal are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When is it sensible to use bleak instead of dismal?

Although the words bleak and dismal have much in common, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When could cheerless be used to replace dismal?

In some situations, the words cheerless and dismal are roughly equivalent. However, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When can desolate be used instead of dismal?

The words desolate and dismal can be used in similar contexts, but desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

In what contexts can dreary take the place of dismal?

The synonyms dreary and dismal are sometimes interchangeable, but dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When is gloomy a more appropriate choice than dismal?

While the synonyms gloomy and dismal are close in meaning, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dismal The first event occurred a year after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, and the city’s retail scene was in dismal shape. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 26 June 2025 That makes for a dismal per theater average of $5,600. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 22 June 2025 The film earned a dismal $43 million at the domestic box office and an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. Zack Sharf, Variety, 10 June 2025 Philip Gordon, a senior foreign-policy adviser to President Obama and Vice-President Harris, once reflected on the dismal outcomes of recent U.S. military interventions in the Middle East. David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dismal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismal
Adjective
  • During that bleak era, Che-Chung Tsai, a researcher at the University of Washington, contacted several companies, seeking experimental drugs for use in an animal study.
    Jon Cohen, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • That said, Google’s latest survey paints a bleak picture.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • That’s a depressing setup, but the film is a lot gentler.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • And on that depressing thought, that's how Squid Game ended.
    EW.com, EW.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Even the ones that aren’t strictly evil in the biblical sense are often prone to doing terrible things.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Executive Chef Graham House and Chef de Cuisine Graham House of Luminosa in Asheville, NC, recommend using a whole roast chicken, both dark and white meat, but placing half of it in the food processor before hand shredding the remaining bits for texture.
    Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
  • Prioritize sleep quality: Creating a consistent bedtime routine and keeping your bedroom cool and dark may help improve sleep.
    Stella Bard, Health, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Too much alcohol and your dreamy dessert turns into a sad, semi-frozen slush.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • All three movies are packed with dinosaurs—dinosaurs running, dinosaurs being sad and winsome, dinosaurs showing ruthless disregard for human life.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.
    John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
  • If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • However, while circumstances were smooth-sailing at the start, things quickly took a somber turn on July 2, 1937.
    Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 2 July 2025
  • His overjoyed demeanor starkly contrasted with his somber appearance in court just a day before when jurors said they were deadlocked on one of the five counts.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, the squad needs to shift strategies and Sonny is here to take them from pathetic to aggressive.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • Jarvis’ performance is transformative, making Mark both pathetic and feverishly alive, his corrosive remorse seemingly genuine.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dismal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismal. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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