Dismal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈdiz-məl/ dis·mal

Meaning & Definition of Dismal

Dismal (adjective)

  1. showing or causing gloom or depression
  2. lacking merit, particularly bad
  3. disastrous, dreadful

Dismal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

    "a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house"

    similar: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, 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. causing unhappiness

    "the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship"

    similar: depressing, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary
    related: deplorable, distressful, grievous, lamentable, unfortunate, woeful, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
    opposite: cheering, cheery, glad, happy
    near: heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting, agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, exhilarating, thrilling

  3. extremely unsatisfactory

    "the quarterback's dismal performance suggested that he had not fully recovered from his recent injury"

    similar: abysmal, atrocious, awful, execrable, horrible, lousy, punk, rotten, sucky (slang), terrible, wretched
    related: bad, deficient, inferior, off, poor, substandard, wanting, contemptible, miserable, shameful, defective, faulty, flawed, low-grade, mediocre, reprehensible, second-rate, bum, useless, valueless, worthless, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, abominable, damnable, fiendish, odious, vile
    opposite: bitchin' (slang), great, marvelous, wonderful
    near: choice, excellent, exceptional, first-class, first-rate, premium, prime, superior, adequate, sufficient, acceptable, satisfactory

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dismal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dismal:

Chiefly Scottish: dreich
Slang: sucky
black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, 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 Dismal

Words with the opposite meaning of Dismal:

bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny, glad, happy, bitchin', great, marvelous, wonderful

Related Words for Dismal

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

Near Antonyms of Dismal

blithe, blithesome, buoyant, jocund, jolly, joyful, joyous, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, lighthearted, lightsome, heartening, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting, agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, exhilarating, thrilling, choice

Word Forms of Dismal

Derived words: dismally (adverb), dismalness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dismal

Middle English, from dismal, noun, days marked as unlucky in medieval calendars, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin dies mali, literally, evil days

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Dismal

What does "Dismal" mean?

"Dismal" means showing or causing gloom or depression. As an adjective, it is defined as: showing or causing gloom or depression. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dismal"?

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

What are different ways to say "Dismal"?

There are 142 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dismal". Common alternatives include black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark and darkening.

What is the opposite of "Dismal"?

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

How do you use "Dismal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dismal" in a sentence: "a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house"; "the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship"; "the quarterback's dismal performance suggested that he had not fully recovered from his recent injury".

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

"Dismal" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Dismal"?

"Dismal" is pronounced /ˈdiz-məl/ and divided into syllables as dis·mal.

What is the origin of the word "Dismal"?

"Dismal" comes from Middle English, from dismal, noun, days marked as unlucky in medieval calendars, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin dies mali, literally, evil days. First known use: 15th century.