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.
Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire. — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 The article highlights a bleak outlook for young neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with intersecting identities, facing significant structural barriers in the job market. — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Still, with more than 40,000 industry jobs lost in the past few years, soundstages and vendor storefronts sitting empty, and lucrative overseas incentives seducing even more production away, things are bleak in town right now. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026 There’s mixed signs Bessent’s bleak outlook on the refunds could come true. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 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 9 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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