DISMALLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

dismally

adverb

Definition of dismally

as in miserably

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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 dismally As Business Insider‘s Joshua Nelken-Zitser quickly discovered, ChatGPT for Teens is failing pretty dismally at its goals at launch. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026 But for now, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains at a dismally low 13%, according to the American Cancer Society. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 12 May 2026 The assets performed dismally in March but rebounded in April. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 8 May 2026 The Sierra Nevada mountains were replenished after seeing a dismally low snowpack to start the year, and snow even temporarily closed Yosemite National Park. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 In this regard, ICE and the federal government have failed dismally. — The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026 That venture failed dismally… but today James and his younger brother Prince Liam are still harnessing the power of the internet. — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 29 June 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dismally

Adverb

On the heels of a miserably sticky summer, an unusually long October heat wave is set to arrive, according to forecasters.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
That failed miserably, and Malik Washington threw four interceptions when Maryland tried to pass.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of miserably

Adverb

The shattered standing forlornly by the podium at the end of a draining tournament, hearts broken, bodies exhausted, having to watch as the opposition receive the reward that England were agonisingly close to.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Adaptations of the Odyssey are always fleshy affairs, with half-naked men lying happily or forlornly on beaches.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

Definition of forlornly

Adverb

The movie’s strongest sequences provide the all-too-rare sensation of truly not being able to believe your eyes, as the film’s most fantastical elements feel distressingly real.

— Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
The event was halted after an hour due to fears about her safety, which distressingly encapsulates a tension that the trans Mayan artist has navigated for years.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of distressingly

Adverb

If exceeding delivery targets fails to spark a rally, meeting or slightly beating bottom-line earnings will likely be greeted glumly by Wall Street.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 July 2026
Three of the four arrived soberly dressed, one of them, Hodgkin, in a black suit, folded his arms and stared glumly ahead.

— Robin Muir, Vogue, 12 June 2026

Definition of glumly

Adverb

Made in Korea, Disney+‘s darkly thrilling K-drama spy series, came to a simmering conclusion on Wednesday as stars Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung faced off for one final game of cat and mouse.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
In recent years, Porodina has brought her darkly romantic lens to campaigns for the likes of Dior, Hermès, Skims and Giorgio Armani, and editorials for Vogue, Pop and GQ, among others.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of darkly

Adverb

The sis, played by Vicki Lawrence, contributes nothing to the laughs, she is forced to play her role either sullenly or brattishly.

— Hank Grant, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
The mother laughed, which made the girl slouched sullenly on her Icelandic glance back, and her mother brushed a hand over her face.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of sullenly

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dismally

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“Dismally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismally. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dismally

adverb

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