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dismal

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdɪzməɫ// UK //dˈɪzməl// dis·mal Archaic

adj. very bad, sad, or without hope. You use it to describe things like terrible weather, a poor performance, or a gloomy mood.

adj. characterised by gloom, misery, or a lack of hope; showing or causing a lack of cheerfulness. Often used to describe poor quality or disappointing results in a professional or academic context.


SIMPLE

The team's performance was dismal.

CONTEXTUAL

The weather remained dismal for the entire week, with grey clouds and constant rain ruining our holiday plans.

COMPLEX

Despite the high expectations surrounding the product launch, the initial sales figures were dismal, forcing the board to reconsider their entire marketing strategy for the next quarter.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English dismal, dismale, from Anglo-Norman dismal, from Old French (li) dis mals (“(the) bad days”), from Medieval Latin diēs malī (“bad days”).

Usage

Often used to modify nouns like 'failure', 'weather', 'performance', or 'prospects'.

Idioms1 entry

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