Synonyms of dismal

dismal

adjective

ˈdiz-məl 

1

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bleak
• depressing
• dark
• somber
• depressive
• darkening
• lonely
• desolate
• murky
• cold
• miserable
• grey
• gray
• solemn
• morbid
• lonesome
• wretched
• gloomy
• dreary
• blue
• black
• depressed
• cheerless
• dire
• sombre
• sad
• glum
• lugubrious
• sullen
• morose
• disconsolate
• forlorn
• drear
• funereal
• cloudy
• chill
• oppressive
• comfortless
• sepulchral
• elegiac
• saturnine
• melancholy
• tenebrous
• godforsaken
• unhappy
• woeful
• elegiacal
• dreich
• desperate
• negative
• dull
• hopeless
• grim
• woebegone
• dim
• discouraging
• dispiriting
• sunless
• dejected
• tenebrific
• plutonian
• dismaying
• Cimmerian
• low
• mournful
• distressful
• disheartening
• mirthless
• melancholic
• distressing
• pessimistic
• lamentable
• upsetting
• despondent
• inconsolable
• hangdog
• discomfiting
• drab
• droopy
• menacing
• sorrowful
• down
• dour
• plaintive
• colorless
• threatening
• lowering
• louring
• loury
• lowery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bright
• cheerful
• cheery
• friendly
• festive
• comforting
• sunshiny
• gay
• joyous
• cordial
• joyful
• merry
• buoyant
• jolly
• optimistic
• blithe
• gay
• mirthful
• hopeful
• encouraging
• cheering
• heartwarming
• blithesome
• jocund
• lighthearted
• lightsome

2

as in depressing

causing unhappiness

the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• depressing
• sad
• pathetic
• unfortunate
• mournful
• melancholy
• heartbreaking
• dreary
• tearful
• disturbing
• saddening
• drear
• teary
• sorry
• lamentable
• deplorable
• woeful
• heartrending
• distressful
• distressing
• disquieting
• grievous
• perturbing
• discouraging
• dispiriting
• moving
• discomforting
• affecting
• touching
• poignant
• disheartening
• discomposing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• happy
• cheery
• glad
• inspiring
• uplifting
• pleasant
• stimulating
• delightful
• heartening
• stirring
• satisfying
• welcome
• enjoyable
• agreeable
• cheering
• pleasurable
• pleasing
• exhilarating
• heartwarming
• thrilling

3

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terrible
• horrible
• awful
• poor
• wretched
• rotten
• bad
• atrocious
• defective
• lousy
• inadequate
• sucky
• execrable
• insufficient
• miserable
• flawed
• lacking
• shameful
• substandard
• deficient
• mediocre
• punk
• inferior
• worthless
• useless
• contemptible
• off
• faulty
• wanting
• abominable
• reprehensible
• low-grade
• valueless
• odious
• damnable
• vile
• bum
• second-rate
• fiendish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• great
• wonderful
• marvellous
• marvelous
• excellent
• superior
• exceptional
• prime
• adequate
• first-class
• choice
• sufficient
• bitchin'
• premium
• satisfactory
• acceptable
• first-rate

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

Recent Examples of dismal

In fact, McKinsey’s Chris White and Olivia White argued in 2024 that productivity has been dismal for nearly a generation, hovering around 1% a year, with a dip after the Great Financial Crisis. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2025

The complaint warns that Medicaid patients may forgo care if Planned Parenthood is forced to turn away patients in a state that already struggles with dismal health outcomes, including a high maternal mortality rate. —Bracey Harris, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2025

The outlook for substantive change is dismal. —Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025

But according to science journalist Peter Brannen, that dismal view is far too narrow. —Lee Billings, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2025