bleak

adjective
UK: /bliːk/
US: /bliːk/

  1. Without hope or encouragement; depressing.

    1. The future looks bleak for the coal industry here, so bleak. [ ] [ ]
    2. The economic outlook is bleak, with high unemployment, so the future is bleak. [ ] [ ]

  2. Cold and miserable; exposed and barren.

    1. It was a bleak winter day, very bleak and cold. [ ] [ ]
    2. The bleak landscape offered little comfort to the weary travelers, which seemed very bleak. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

bare desolate grim depressing dismal
bleak noun

  1. A pale or sickly colour.

    1. The patient's face had a bleak pallor because of the illness. [ ] [ ]
    2. The illness left a bleak look on her face, showing how unwell she felt. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "bleak" in English means: Without hope or encouragement; depressing., Cold and miserable; exposed and barren..

The phonetic transcription of "bleak" is /bliːk/ in British English and /bliːk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "bleak": bare, desolate, grim, depressing, dismal.

Example usage of "bleak": "The future looks bleak for the coal industry here, so bleak.". More examples on the page.