bleak
1[ bleek ]
/ blik /
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adjective, bleak·er, bleak·est.
bare, desolate, and often windswept: a bleak plain.
cold and piercing; raw: a bleak wind.
without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary: a bleak future.
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Origin of bleak
11300–50; Middle English bleke pale, blend of variants bleche (Old English blǣc) and blake (Old English blāc); both cognate with Old Norse bleikr,German bleich; akin to bleach
synonym study for bleak
3. See austere.
OTHER WORDS FROM bleak
bleakish, adjectivebleakly, adverbbleakness, nounOther definitions for bleak (2 of 2)
bleak2
[ bleek ]
/ blik /
noun
a European freshwater fish, Alburnus alburnus, having scales with a silvery pigment that is used in the production of artificial pearls.
Origin of bleak
2Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bleak in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bleak (1 of 2)
bleak1
/ (bliːk) /
adjective
exposed and barren; desolate
cold and raw
offering little hope or excitement; dismala bleak future
Derived forms of bleak
bleakly, adverbbleakness, nounWord Origin for bleak
Old English blāc bright, pale; related to Old Norse bleikr white, Old High German bleih pale
British Dictionary definitions for bleak (2 of 2)
bleak2
/ (bliːk) /
noun
any slender silvery European cyprinid fish of the genus Alburnus, esp A. lucidus, occurring in slow-flowing rivers
Word Origin for bleak
C15: probably from Old Norse bleikja white colour; related to Old High German bleiche bleach
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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