1
as in depressing
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbulent
marked by wet and windy conditions
it was a dark and bleak wintry day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool
a bleak December morning
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleak
Paired with the gray-ish green color palette, sparse decor, and dark atmospherics in the Institute itself, the bleak vibes may be enough to turn some viewers off for good, especially those horror purists who tune in hoping to be terrified rather than just bummed out.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Restaurants were closed, staff were furloughed, and the broad outlook on the hospitality industry’s future was, in a word, bleak.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The reversal is notable because this traditionally bleak indicator had been trending more positively under Trump's second term—until now.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
The novel’s worldview is bleak beyond imagining, which itself is no great sin, but the mechanism of that bleakness seems particularly cruel.
—Book Marks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Restaurants were closed, staff were furloughed, and the broad outlook on the hospitality industry’s future was, in a word, bleak.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The reversal is notable because this traditionally bleak indicator had been trending more positively under Trump's second term—until now.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
The novel’s worldview is bleak beyond imagining, which itself is no great sin, but the mechanism of that bleakness seems particularly cruel.
—Book Marks
july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleak
Adjective
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For women, the situation is even more depressing with 90% of women excluded from the workforce, unable to work outside their homes.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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And blame can be depressing; accepting responsibility for something that went terribly wrong is often painful and embarrassing.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Flying across the country alone with my infant was far less turbulent with the right preparation.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
1 Aug. 2025
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For Michelle, 28, knowing her long-term relationship was over—one that had started with a DM, spanned four years, and was turbulent in the way that made letting go feel impossible—came down to seeing him with someone else…in a video watched by over a million people.—
Morgan Sullivan,
Vogue,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Winters are cooler but pleasant, with daytime temperatures in the 60s or 70s but the evenings can be chilly, so perhaps not the best beach weather.—
Amy Bentley,
Oc Register,
23 July 2025
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Perhaps things are still feeling slightly chilly with the neighbors.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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In Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s energetic capital, golden spires of the Royal Palace gleam above the river, while visits to the Killing Fields reveal the city’s somber history.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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The convention, originally planned as a celebratory coronation, transformed into a tense, somber, and ultimately pivotal gathering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Special agents alongside local law enforcement spent their rainy Wednesday going to businesses all over South Florida, including gas stations, grocery stores and retail stores.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
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European cities are much more similar in road conditions than their U.S. peers where sunny Phoenix, Arizona, with its wide streets, is far easier for self-driving cars to master than the narrow cross-streets of cold and rainy New York City.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Mass deportations and tighter immigration controls could also have a chilling effect on authorized immigration, including workers and students in STEM fields, which could slow the development of new technologies.—
Claudia Sahm,
Mercury News,
29 July 2025
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One of the most significant impacts of hateful expressions, including the graffiti in Hyde Park and the mural defacement in Pilsen, is its chilling effect on the rest of a community, Mello said.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Sophie's gun — which was an impulse buy just a few days back — is found and identified as the weapon that killed Abby. Sophie's quest to vindicate herself then leads to the unraveling of dark secrets, sketchy relationships, twisted small-town politics and more.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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Saturday's clip also clarified that the blue sections of the costume are a darker shade of the color — and more reflective — than earlier versions.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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One great sequence, as the campers camped alone in tents in the snowy woods, demanded that the filmmakers not be seen at all.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
1 Aug. 2025
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In one of the pictures the couple posed with Thompson and Andrews, along with their husbands, during a snowy trip to Montana — so inevitably, a listener asked all about it during the Monday, July 28 episode of their podcast, Calm Down with Erin and Charissa.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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