bleak

adjective

ˈblēk How to pronounce bleak (audio)
bleaker; bleakest
Synonyms of bleak
1
: exposed and barren and often windswept
a bleak landscape
bleak soils
2
: cold, raw
a bleak November evening
3
a
: lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness : grim
a bleak prison documentary
b
: not hopeful or encouraging : depressing
a bleak prognosis
a bleak outlook
the future looks bleak
c
: severely simple or austere
a bleak hotel room
bleakly adverb
bleakness noun

Synonyms of bleak

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dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Examples of bleak in a Sentence

a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season it was a dark and bleak wintry day
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
By surrounding Brazilian funk’s fundamental elements with uncanny violin samples and disorienting synths, Agazero seems to offer a bleak vision of the way the country’s most popular genre has been distorted and misrepresented overseas. — Amanda Cavalcanti, Pitchfork, 31 July 2026 Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images Reese credited her teammates for keeping the energy high when things looked bleak. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Western Europe, facing similarly bleak prospects, produced its own converts to Americanism. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 Before yesterday’s vote, the prospects for BPC-157 appeared bleak. — Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bleak

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bleke pale; probably akin to Old English blāc

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bleak was in 1574

Rhymes for bleak

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Browse Nearby Words

bleach-out process
bleak
bleakly
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Cite this Entry

“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bleak. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bleak

adjective
ˈblēk How to pronounce bleak (audio)
1
: open to wind or weather
a bleak coast
2
: cold entry 1 sense 1, raw
a bleak November evening
3
: dreary, cheerless
the future looks bleak
4
: very plain
bleakly adverb
bleakness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bleak

Nglish: Translation of bleak for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bleak

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