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dismal Definition

dis·mal (diz′məl)

adjective

  1. causing gloom or misery; depressing
  2. dark and gloomy; bleak; dreary
  3. depressed; miserable

Etymology: ME, orig. n., evil days (of the medieval calendar) < OFr dis mal < ML dies mali, evil days: see deity & mal-

dismal Related Forms
dis′·mally adverb
dismal Synonyms

dismal

modif.

  1. Depressing

    gloomy, dreary, melancholy, dark, cheerless, bleak, desolate, doleful, dispiriting, dolorous, sad, sorrowful, inauspicious, morbid, troubling, horrid, shadowy, tenebrous, dim, overcast, cloudy, gray, unhappy, discouraging, hopeless, black, grim, unfortunate, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, monotonous, tedious, boring, frowning, lowering, mournful, dull, disheartening, afflictive, unwholesome, regrettable, dusky, dingy, sepulchral, joyless, forlorn, funereal, comfortless, murky, wan, somber, woebegone, disagreeable, blue*; see also dark 1, sad 2.

    Antonyms joyful, cheerful, bright.

  2. Sad

    miserable, depressed, sorrowful; see sad 1.

dismal Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

  • say: The Ecology report outlined in the document for Stansted is dismal to say the least.

Modifies a noun

  • showing: After the dismal showing against Norway, will the Scots still qualify for Euro 2004?
  • failure: Hardly a dismal failure, would you not agree?
  • defeat: The month ended on a low, with chairman Simon Jordan offering away fans their money back after a dismal defeat at Preston.
  • prospect: The boys were left with the dismal prospect of their race coming down the course with St Edward's duly taking Bronze.
  • weather: Blocks in the wrong place, however, can lead to days of dismal gray weather with nothing much of interest going on!
  • performance: The dismal performance of the stock market is bad news for pension funds.

Modifying Another Word

  • pretty: The weather here was pretty dismal - the photos are not fit for display!
  • rather: Needless to say the reaction to most of the material played from this album is rather dismal.
  • equally: However, a quiz on history or geography would yield equally dismal results among the general population.
  • fairly: And he will not have seen a great deal to worry him in what was fairly dismal spectacle.
  • truly: The last six or seven weeks have been truly dismal.
  • so: I had intended paying into our joint mortgage, as the value of stocks and shares is so dismal.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: AB - The prognosis of patients with HCC remains dismal.
  • seem: I would appreciate any replies or advice as things seem very dismal at this time.
dismal Quotes

She hadna sailed a league, a league, A league but barely three, When dismal grew his countenance And drumlie grew his e'e. They hadna sailed a league, a league, A league but barely three, Until she espied his cloven foot, And she wept right bitterlie.

—Ballads