dismal

adjective

dis·mal ˈdiz-məl

Synonyms of dismal next

: showing or causing gloom (see gloom entry 2 sense 2) or depression

the dismal prison twilight—

Charles Dickens

: lacking merit : particularly bad

a dismal performance

obsolete : disastrous, dreadful

dismally

ˈdiz-mə-lē

adverb

dismalness noun

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The Evil History of Dismal

In late antiquity, certain days each month, called “Egyptian days,” were regarded as inauspicious, probably as a relic of ancient Egyptian belief. By the Middle Ages, people took them to be anniversaries of the Biblical plagues in Egypt. There were 24 such days per year, and in Anglo-French they were called collectively dismal (from Latin dies mali, “evil days”), and this word was borrowed into Middle English. In time the “evil days” sense was forgotten and dismal was simply taken to mean “disastrous.” The noun dismal, meaning “swamp,” goes back to the 1700s when the marshy region in Virginia and North Carolina was named the Great Dismal Swamp.

Choose the Right Synonym for dismal

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Examples of dismal in a Sentence

The show was a dismal failure. The team's record is dismal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Biden withdrew his reelection bid amid pressure from Democrats to do so, following a dismal debate performance in June against Trump that raised questions about his age and mental fitness. —

Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025 Min Zhou, director of the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, previously told Newsweek that the strict COVID-19 policy in China and dismal economic prospects, as well as the uncertain political situation in the country, have pushed many Chinese nationals to head to America. —

Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 Fourth-quarter earnings season isn’t done yet, but Boeing’s dismal 2024 results are almost certain to bolster the company’s lead as the biggest loser in the S&P 500 index since 2019, according to data from FactSet. —

Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025 The Heat missed 24 of its first 30 three-point attempts and finished 12 for 51 on threes, a dismal 23.5 percent. —

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for dismal

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler

The first known use of dismal was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dismal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismal. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

dismal

adjective

dis·mal ˈdiz-məl

: very gloomy and depressing : dreary

dismal weather

: lacking in merit : particularly bad

a dismal performance

dismally

-mə-lē

adverb

Etymology

Middle English dismal "days marked on a calendar as unlucky," from early French (same meaning), from Latin dies mali, "evil days"

Word Origin

At the time of the Roman Empire, certain days of each month, called "Egyptian days," were regarded as inauspicious. These days of ill omen were probably a relic of ancient Egyptian belief, but their source had been forgotten by the Middle Ages. People then took them to be anniversaries of the plagues visited on Egypt in Moses' time—though there were 24 Egyptian days in the year and only ten biblical plagues. In medieval French the Egyptian days were called collectively dismal (from Latin dies mali, "evil days"), and this word was borrowed into Middle English. Any day of the 24 was a dismal day, but the original sense "evil days" was forgotten, and dismal was simply taken as an adjective meaning "disastrous."

Last Updated: 31 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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dismal

adjective

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Synonyms

Examples of dismal in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near dismal

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Kids Definition