as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
the morning bleakness prompted me to get a fire going
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Recent Examples of bleakness
The extraordinary dissonance between his films’ classically cartoonish aesthetic and their thematic bleakness makes Vázquez one of the most singular and consistently surprising animation auteurs working today.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
Survey after survey underscore the bleakness.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
He was viewed as one of the country’s top coaching prospects — a ‘tracksuit manager’ who would play a hands-on role in training, and a welcome tonic after the bleakness of his predecessor Walter Smith’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This bleakness makes for numerous memorably tense sequences, including a blackout, a bus ride, a rendezvous at an aquarium, and, bizarrely, a screening of an early Disney cartoon.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
To find out more, Newsweek spoke with Pixile Studios co-founder Michael One and narrative designer Ruben, about designing a battle royale in this distinct format, building a global live service as a small indie team, and how cuteness and bleakness are not contradictions.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Harry is a grouch and Oslo is his trash can, which isn’t the way the city is traditionally depicted, with Santelmann making the descent into greater and greater bleakness seem organic.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Thus Cuarón is free to break the bleakness in his life with the surreal life where a kiss becomes the ticket for romantic flight into the skies.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
Survey after survey underscore the bleakness.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
He was viewed as one of the country’s top coaching prospects — a ‘tracksuit manager’ who would play a hands-on role in training, and a welcome tonic after the bleakness of his predecessor Walter Smith’s tenure.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This bleakness makes for numerous memorably tense sequences, including a blackout, a bus ride, a rendezvous at an aquarium, and, bizarrely, a screening of an early Disney cartoon.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
To find out more, Newsweek spoke with Pixile Studios co-founder Michael One and narrative designer Ruben, about designing a battle royale in this distinct format, building a global live service as a small indie team, and how cuteness and bleakness are not contradictions.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Harry is a grouch and Oslo is his trash can, which isn’t the way the city is traditionally depicted, with Santelmann making the descent into greater and greater bleakness seem organic.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
Thus Cuarón is free to break the bleakness in his life with the surreal life where a kiss becomes the ticket for romantic flight into the skies.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleakness
Noun
-
Despite the chill of children, summer came, despite the winter of children, summer came.—
Valzhyna Mort,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
There’s also a chill place to hang post hanging ten, surf-wellness experiences, skateboarding clinics, and e-foiling.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Charlotte struggled to surmount her anger and bitterness toward her once-dear sibling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
This tendency, called marcescence, may have developed a few million years ago to discourage large mammals from browsing on trees in winter due to the bitterness of the tannin-rich leaves surrounding buds.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bleakness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleakness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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