Bleak — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈblēk/

Meaning & Definition of Bleak

Bleak (adjective)

  1. exposed and barren and often windswept
  2. cold, raw
  3. lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness, grim

Bleak (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

    "a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season"

    similar: black, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched
    related: blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting, desperate, hopeless, pessimistic, lamentable, mournful, plaintive, sorrowful, colorless, drab, dull, dour, grim, lowering, lowery, menacing, negative, oppressive, threatening
    opposite: bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny
    near: blithe, blithesome, buoyant, gay, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome

  2. marked by wet and windy conditions

    "it was a dark and bleak wintry day"

    similar: dirty, foul, inclement, nasty, raw, rough, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent
    related: blowy, blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept, cloudy, overcast, sunless, rainy, snowy, foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupy
    opposite: bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded
    near: rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, serene

  3. uncomfortably cool

    "a bleak December morning"

    similar: bitter, chill, chilling, chilly, nipping, nippy, raw, sharp
    related: bracing, brisk, crisp, invigorating, rigorous, snappy, arctic, cold, coolish, freezing, frigid, frosty, glacial, ice-cold, icy, numbing, polar, shivery, wintry, subfreezing, subzero, frore, frosted, frozen, iced, refrigerated, unheated
    near: balmy, warm, lukewarm, tepid, heated, warmed

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bleak

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bleak:

Chiefly Scottish: dreich
black, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bleak

Words with the opposite meaning of Bleak:

bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, unclouded

Related Words for Bleak

blue, dejected, depressed, despondent, down, droopy, hangdog, inconsolable, low, melancholic, melancholy, mirthless, sad, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, dim, discomfiting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting, distressful, distressing, upsetting, desperate, hopeless, pessimistic, lamentable, mournful

Near Antonyms of Bleak

blithe, blithesome, buoyant, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome, rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, serene, warm, lukewarm, tepid, heated, warmed

Word Forms of Bleak

Inflections: bleaker, bleakest

Derived words: bleakly (adverb), bleakness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bleak

Middle English bleke pale; probably akin to Old English blāc

First known use: 1574

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bleak

Frequently Asked Questions about Bleak

What does "Bleak" mean?

"Bleak" means exposed and barren and often windswept. As an adjective, it is defined as: exposed and barren and often windswept. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bleak"?

Other words for "Bleak" include black, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless and dark. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bleak" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bleak"?

There are 141 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bleak". Common alternatives include black, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening and depressing.

What is the opposite of "Bleak"?

Antonyms of "Bleak" include bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive and friendly. Near antonyms include blithe, blithesome, buoyant and jocund.

How do you use "Bleak" in a sentence?

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"; "a bleak December morning".

Is "Bleak" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bleak" is an adjective.

Is "Bleak" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Bleak" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Bleak"?

"Bleak" is pronounced /ˈblēk/.