Synonyms of dismal

dismal

adjective

ˈdiz-məl 

1

as in bleak

causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer

a suitably dismal setting for a haunted house

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bleak
• depressing
• dark
• somber
• depressive
• darkening
• lonely
• desolate
• murky
• cold
• miserable
• grey
• gray
• solemn
• morbid
• lonesome
• wretched
• gloomy
• dreary
• blue
• black
• depressed
• cheerless
• dire
• sombre
• sad
• glum
• lugubrious
• sullen
• morose
• disconsolate
• forlorn
• drear
• funereal
• cloudy
• chill
• oppressive
• comfortless
• sepulchral
• elegiac
• saturnine
• melancholy
• tenebrous
• godforsaken
• unhappy
• woeful
• elegiacal
• dreich
• desperate
• negative
• dull
• hopeless
• grim
• woebegone
• dim
• discouraging
• dispiriting
• sunless
• dejected
• tenebrific
• plutonian
• dismaying
• Cimmerian
• low
• mournful
• distressful
• disheartening
• mirthless
• melancholic
• distressing
• pessimistic
• lamentable
• upsetting
• despondent
• inconsolable
• hangdog
• discomfiting
• drab
• droopy
• menacing
• sorrowful
• down
• dour
• plaintive
• colorless
• threatening
• lowering
• louring
• loury
• lowery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bright
• cheerful
• cheery
• friendly
• festive
• comforting
• sunshiny
• gay
• joyous
• cordial
• joyful
• merry
• buoyant
• jolly
• optimistic
• blithe
• gay
• mirthful
• hopeful
• encouraging
• cheering
• heartwarming
• blithesome
• jocund
• lighthearted
• lightsome

2

as in depressing

causing unhappiness

the dismal failure of our hopes for the championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• depressing
• sad
• pathetic
• unfortunate
• mournful
• melancholy
• heartbreaking
• dreary
• tearful
• disturbing
• saddening
• drear
• teary
• sorry
• lamentable
• deplorable
• woeful
• heartrending
• distressful
• distressing
• disquieting
• grievous
• perturbing
• discouraging
• dispiriting
• moving
• discomforting
• affecting
• touching
• poignant
• disheartening
• discomposing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• happy
• cheery
• glad
• inspiring
• uplifting
• pleasant
• stimulating
• delightful
• heartening
• stirring
• satisfying
• welcome
• enjoyable
• agreeable
• cheering
• pleasurable
• pleasing
• exhilarating
• heartwarming
• thrilling

3

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terrible
• horrible
• awful
• poor
• wretched
• rotten
• bad
• atrocious
• defective
• lousy
• inadequate
• sucky
• execrable
• insufficient
• miserable
• flawed
• lacking
• shameful
• substandard
• deficient
• mediocre
• punk
• inferior
• worthless
• useless
• contemptible
• off
• faulty
• wanting
• abominable
• reprehensible
• low-grade
• valueless
• odious
• damnable
• vile
• bum
• second-rate
• fiendish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• great
• wonderful
• marvellous
• marvelous
• excellent
• superior
• exceptional
• prime
• adequate
• first-class
• choice
• sufficient
• bitchin'
• premium
• satisfactory
• acceptable
• first-rate

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dismal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dismal are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dreary, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When is it sensible to use bleak instead of dismal?

Although the words bleak and dismal have much in common, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When could cheerless be used to replace dismal?

In some situations, the words cheerless and dismal are roughly equivalent. However, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

When can desolate be used instead of dismal?

The words desolate and dismal can be used in similar contexts, but desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

In what contexts can dreary take the place of dismal?

The synonyms dreary and dismal are sometimes interchangeable, but dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When is gloomy a more appropriate choice than dismal?

While the synonyms gloomy and dismal are close in meaning, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dismal

The results follow a dismal August nonfarm payrolls count. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025

The dismal August jobs report confirmed the labor market cooled significantly during the spring and summer. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2025

The 2023 League Cup win broke a six-year trophy drought at the club, and the 2024 FA Cup win over Guardiola’s City likely earned him a stay of execution after a dismal eighth-place league finish. —Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025

The data from the Labor Department followed a similarly dismal jobs report for July that showed an average of just 35,000 jobs added to the economy each month between May and July. —Tobias Burns, The Hill, 5 Sep. 2025