dismal
- noun
- /ˈdɪzməl/
- For these fugitive slaves, known as maroons, facing the Dismal's heat, quicksand, bugs, snakes, and bears was a reasonable price for a chance at freedom and self-determination.
Examples
-
You know, as, as people came out, they set up a, a table and they were selling popcorn and they were having dismal success.
-
You can also put in economics, often called the dismal science, right?
-
Actually, it premiered and was a dismal failure.
-
Pythias described Thuli as a dismal place, shrouded in fog and soaked by freezing rain, where the summer sun scarcely set.
-
The abandoned house at the end of the street became a dismal reminder of the neighborhood's better days.
-
Many consider the old factory a dismal site, filled with broken machinery and dark shadows.
-
On rainy days, the park feels like a dismal place, where few people dare to wander.
Synonyms
A feeling of sadness and low spirits
A sad heavy feeling that hangs over a place
A cold, empty feeling that makes a place or situation seem sad
A dull, gloomy feeling that makes things seem not interesting
A quiet, gloomy mood that shows anger or hurt
A serious, sad mood that feels quiet and heavy
A feeling of sadness and little hope felt by people or in a place
A gloomy, unfriendly mood that makes a person quiet and hard to approach
A quiet feeling of sadness and low spirits
A feeling of being very lonely and empty after loss
A deep sadness that nothing can comfort
Antonyms
Compounds
- Literature
A study of how people use money and goods, often focusing on not having enough and hardship
How Gloomy
Surface Forms
Etymology
Dismal as a noun came from the same Latin roots dies 'day' and malus 'bad' and was used for places people thought unlucky or frightening, like the Great Dismal Swamp. So calling a place 'the dismal' makes it sound gloomy and scary.