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 President Joe Biden received a medical checkup from White House physicians in the days following his dismal performance in the first 2024 presidential debate, despite White House officials repeatedly telling reporters he has not been examined since February. —

Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 July 2024 Besides setting a dismal example, this degrades our politics, encouraging everyone to be their worst selves. —

Mike Kabatt, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024 While the average performance of all 2,000 companies was dismal (23 percent achievement of goals), apparel and footwear scored 33 percent, and retail scored 28 percent. —

Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 2 July 2024 Updated 12:29, with press conference information: Joe Biden will sit down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for his first interview since the fallout from his dismal debate performance. —

Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for dismal

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dismal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 7 Jul. 2024.

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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: 7 Jul 2024 - 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