dismally

adverb

Definition of dismallynext
as in miserably

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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 dismally 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
  1. miserably
  2. forlornly
  3. distressingly
  4. glumly
  5. darkly
  6. sullenly
  7. joylessly
  8. pessimistically
Adverb
  • After Carlson officially flamed out, Brayden Narveson failed miserably.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • That day helped solidify my decision to keep pushing forward after failing so miserably.
    — Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 16 July 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
  • The two outlets have greenlit 1536, a darkly comedic drama from writer and showrunner Ava Pickett (The Great, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast).
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The show explores the darkly absurd side of modern-day male friendship.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of darkly
Adverb
  • Take, for example, Keanu Reeves, who was memeified after a photo of the actor sullenly eating a sandwich went viral.
    — Ben Pettis, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Like a fisherman left empty-handed after a heavy pull at her line, the woman sullenly took Sam’s picture.
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of sullenly
Adverb
  • 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
Definition of joylessly
Adverb
  • The Vietnam War and Watergate had spawned a paralyzing sense of national distrust, and New Hollywood had reflected that reality beautifully but pessimistically.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2026
  • For example, professors Morana Koludrovic and Franceska Delija at the University of Split in Croatia also make the point, more pessimistically, however, that the young can no longer learn from the old, not with all the changes in technology and media.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of pessimistically

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Cite this Entry

“Dismally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dismally. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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