dismal

[diz-muhl]

adjective

1. causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy.

   dismal weather.

   Antonyms: gay, cheerful

2. characterized by ineptness or lack of skill, competence, effectiveness, imagination, or interest; pitiful.

   Our team played a dismal game.

   Synonyms: dreadful, abysmal, hopeless

3. Obsolete.

   1. disastrous; calamitous.

   2. unlucky; sinister.

noun

1. Southern U.S.,  a tract of swampy land, usually along the coast.

dismal

/ ˈdɪzməl /

adjective

1. causing gloom or depression

2. causing dismay or terror

3. of poor quality or a low standard; feeble

Other Word Forms

• dismally adverb
• dismalness noun
• dismality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dismal¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English dismale “unlucky time,” dismol day one of two days in each month considered unlucky (hence later taken as adjective), from Anglo-French dis mal, from Medieval Latin diēs malī, literally, “evil days”; diary ( def. ), mal- ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of dismal¹

C13: from dismal (noun) list of 24 unlucky days in the year, from Medieval Latin diēs malī bad days, from Latin diēs day + malus bad

Example Sentences

But as the Rockies prepare for those showdowns, they are focused on neither a glorious past nor a dismal present.

From Los Angeles Times

Not many people are giving them a hope, especially after last weekend's dismal display against Scotland.

From BBC

In the fall of 2022, six people sued the county and city, arguing they spent five days in custody solely because they could not afford bail, leaving them in “dismal” conditions.

From Los Angeles Times

California’s dismal reading scores point to the need to bolster early literacy, but here’s why experts say it may be possible to introduce reading too early.

From Los Angeles Times

Applying for a part-time cashier job near her dismal D.C. apartment, Rebecca No. 1 mulls, “Inside the market, I remind myself I am a person. I have an age, a birthday, an address.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• depressing 
• dim 
• discouraging www.thesaurus.com
• disheartening 
• dull 
• ghastly 
• horrible 
• horrid 
• miserable 
• murky 
• sad