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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bleak contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bleak are cheerless, desolate, dismal, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When is cheerless a more appropriate choice than bleak?

The words cheerless and bleak can be used in similar contexts, but cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

In what contexts can desolate take the place of bleak?

The meanings of desolate and bleak largely overlap; however, desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

When might dismal be a better fit than bleak?

The synonyms dismal and bleak are sometimes interchangeable, but dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

Where would dreary be a reasonable alternative to bleak?

While the synonyms dreary and bleak are close in meaning, dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When would gloomy be a good substitute for bleak?

The words gloomy and bleak are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 bleak In a 500-credit-score community, whether in urban Atlanta or rural Appalachia, the financial landscape is bleak. John Hope Bryant, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025 Rocket Lab shares dropped 5.75% after the company issued a bleak outlook. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025 In that vein, a much more modulated than usual ex-Obama era White House Chief of Staff and Chicago mayor Emanuel painted a bleak realpolitick picture of the world. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025 Rather than go the standard route of name-checking a bunch of the year’s nominees in one-liners, Wood, a second-time host, explicitly connected most of his jokes back to the country’s bleak political reality. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bleak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleak
Adjective
  • That depressing fact gets reiterated many times, without much variation or additional insight, during Running Point’s 10-episode season.
    EW.com, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • In this new techno-dating reality, the number of fights sparked by clothes being left on the floor would dramatically decrease, instead being replaced by not-at-all depressing scenes of men standing alone in their apartments talking to a speaker.
    Nic Juarez, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • His childhood was turbulent—his parents' frequent fights sometimes turned physical, with his father directing his frustrations at young Gene.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The 1999 killing Syed and Lee both attended Woodlawn High School and had dated, broken up, reunited and broken up again in a relationship an appeals court described as turbulent.
    Chloe Atkins, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • During the colder months, that uniform relies on a lightweight jacket to keep me comfortable on chilly LA mornings.
    Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
  • On West 57th Avenue in Olde Town Arvada, a handful of people with backpacks and belongings gathered in front of the library and soaked in the sun on a recent chilly morning, including one accompanied by a small dog wearing a sporty green jacket.
    John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Party leaders asked their members ahead of the address to maintain a dignified and somber presence in the chamber during Trump's speech.
    Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The mix of Black trauma and White philanthropy created a peculiar vibe in the event space, at once somber and thrilling, mournful and hopeful.
    Nicholas Lalla, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The outbreak was detected last year during the rainy season between July and October.
    SAMY MAGDY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025
  • His Burberry trenchcoat proved its versatility in London’s rainy weather.
    Kristen Tauer, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In a chilling twist of fate, in the film’s first location — a zigzagging, vertical staircase aside a dam in Portugal — a close friend of the group experiences a horrifying accident, captured on camera, that underscores just how perilous Storror’s stunts really are.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Image Image The messages provide a chilling new window into what has become an enduring mystery in the quadruple murder case: What were the two surviving roommates doing at the time that their housemates were being killed?
    Mike Baker, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The fire broke out when the bus was on the corner of Cambridge and Northampton roads in the Cleveland area, filling the suburban street with a dark cloud of smoke.
    Kyla Guilfoil, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • An open-wide view is way more important than a dark sky.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The scenery is just as captivating as the storytelling: Think snowcapped mountains, sweeping aerial shots of frozen fjords, pristine snowy forests, and ice shards floating in dark rivers.
    Andrea Duncan-Mao, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
  • More footage from the crash showed passengers climbing out of the aircraft and stepping out onto a snowy tarmac, where powerful winds whipped past.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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