bleak

[ bleek ]

/ blik /

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See synonyms for: bleak / bleaker / bleakest / bleakness on Thesaurus.com

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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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bleak

1300–50; 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, noun

Other 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

1400–50; late Middle English bleke, noun use of bleke pale; see bleak¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bleak in a sentence

The future, however, need not look bleak for advertisers and publishers.
The promising post-cookie world|Ryan Bricklemyer|December 4, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Despite this exalted status, it has long been associated with a great mystery and a bleak implication.
Time Flows Toward Order - Issue 93: Forerunners|Julian Barbour|December 2, 2020|Nautilus
Until then, for Mehta, Rathod and many others like them, it’s a bleak road ahead as they struggle to regain their fame and income.
It’ll Take More Than 15 Seconds to Rebuild Virality|Pallabi Munsi|December 2, 2020|Ozy
Many moments this year seemed bleak, but we were able to come through.
Dear Sophie: What I’m thankful for|Walter Thompson|November 30, 2020|TechCrunch

Taken together, the future for department stores is bleak, and for many of the malls they anchor.
The death of the department store and the American middle class|Jason Del Rey|November 30, 2020|Vox
The year will start bleakly—really going out on a limb there, eh?
Obamacare, Impeachment, Iran, and More Political Predictions for 2014|Michael Tomasky|December 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And yet, there was always an astringent, bleakly humorous honesty to the man.
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Henry Ford|Richard Snow|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thomas Edsall offers a bleakly pessimistic assessment of American politics in his new book, The Age of Austerity.
David's Book Club: The Age of Austerity|David Frum|February 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The outskirts of the town were coming in sight; grey houses bleakly climbing chalky heights.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird
The cell was small, bleakly furnished with bunk, toilet and washstand, had a ventilator grille in one wall.
The Sensitive Man|Poul William Anderson
As she left for the first-aid cabinet, Houston thought bleakly to himself: Harris was framed.
The Penal Cluster|Ivar Jorgensen (AKA Randall Garrett)
The morning broke, as it always did whenever we tried to cross the river, bleakly and coldly.
Wanderings in Patagonia|Julius Beerbohm
There was the timbered basin of the Klondike bleakly rising to mountains eloquent of death.
The Trail of '98|Robert W. Service

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, noun

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bleak

Origin of bleak

synonym study for bleak

OTHER WORDS FROM bleak

Other definitions for bleak (2 of 2)

Origin of bleak

Words related to bleak

How to use bleak in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bleak (1 of 2)

Derived forms of bleak

Word Origin for bleak

British Dictionary definitions for bleak (2 of 2)

Word Origin for bleak