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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bleak
Competing the European way The picture for European business is by no means bleak, however.
—
Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The royal expert predicted a bleak path forward for Mountbatten-Windsor, but noted Ferguson could get away with writing a memoir.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Certainly, the long-term impact of the IMF’s liberalizing reforms were bleak.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
But just weeks later, her husband Zak was given bleak news after his eye doctor noticed Zak's optic nerves were swollen.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The royal expert predicted a bleak path forward for Mountbatten-Windsor, but noted Ferguson could get away with writing a memoir.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Certainly, the long-term impact of the IMF’s liberalizing reforms were bleak.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
But just weeks later, her husband Zak was given bleak news after his eye doctor noticed Zak's optic nerves were swollen.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bleak
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleak
Adjective
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The Knicks went on to defeat the tanking, depleted Grizzlies handily, a 130-119 win good enough to snap a depressing three-game losing streak against the Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Far from a depressing gray room located in a basement, The Bridge and its massive windows put a spotlight on the natural beauty of Hong Kong.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In his first novel, Il salto con le aste (1989), Domenico Starnone presented two young boys determined to escape their turbulent Neapolitan backgrounds and assert themselves as free spirits and writers in the wider world.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Soaring food and energy costs related to world conflicts, post-pandemic labor shortages, and consumers skittish about spending in this turbulent economy have become huge challenges for restaurateurs, Guez says.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Some parts of the nation are in for a chilly few days, but soon nearly everywhere will feel like spring — or summer.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Hours later, those fans sat bundled up in rainy, chilly conditions as a power outage hit parts of downtown Minneapolis, affecting Target Field.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The beetles take advantage of the fact that the construction workers who finished the house just a few months earlier miscalculated and left too much space between the doors and the ground, failing to consider insects or the rainy season.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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Fire trucks lined up outside a funeral home in Chicago’s southwest suburbs on a gray and rainy Tuesday morning for the funeral of Michael Altman, a Chicago firefighter who died while working to put out a Rogers Park fire earlier this month.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As a chilling rain started to fall, the group marched to the memorial for Renee Good, the mother shot to death in her vehicle by an ICE agent.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Despite this exemption, the bill is sure to have a chilling effect on health care, Ziegler said.—
SOPHIA PAFFENROTH,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The past few days’ fallout is a long way from any somber scene like that.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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The glow of hundreds of candles illuminated somber faces, sobs often cutting through the silence in the crisp spring air.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The cheers from that snowy day under the cavernous tent testified that an ownership culture can work wonders.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, some good news is in the forecast for the drought- and heat-plagued West, as a cool, wet and even snowy pattern is forecast to bring some relief that's desperately needed across the region.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleak.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleak. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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