as in miserably
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismally
Adverb
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Brown then tried to ride the anti-tax, spending-limit movement into the White House two years later — but failed miserably.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026 -
But the presence of these compounds in grapes failed miserably as a diagnostic for smoke taint.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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One of the most affecting shots shows McCartney glancing forlornly at a seat beside him at the mixing desk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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The pipeline of new antibiotics remains distressingly thin, and most drugs currently in development are structurally similar to existing antibiotics, potentially limiting their effectiveness.—
André O. Hudson,
The Conversation,
21 Jan. 2026
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That can be forgiven thanks to the film’s evocative imagery and the emotional resonance of its central themes, distressingly familiar to anyone who has ever lost themselves in a relationship.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Dec. 2025
Adverb
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Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the conservative nonprofit American Action Forum, has watched glumly as Republicans have drifted away from their small-government traditions.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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The Oslo musician’s debut album is a darkly glamorous blur of trip-hop and dance pop, with copious reverb and Auto-Tune as stand-ins for yearning, uneasiness, and irresolution.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
22 Jan. 2026
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Written by Zach Kanin and directed by Alice Mathias, the commercial featured an emotional farewell that took a darkly comedic turn when Chazmo’s attempt to return home went hilariously wrong — all while clutching a bag of Totino’s Pizza Rolls.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Instead, Republican staffers sullenly reported to messaging meetings to talk about immigration.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Then there is the steady stream of profiles on tech billionaires joylessly devoting themselves to maximizing their lifespan.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Look pessimistically, and perhaps the inexperience is too much of a barrier.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dismally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismally. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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