adjective
dismal
DIHZ-muhl
adjective
1
Gloomy, dreary, and depressing.
"It was a dismal, rainy afternoon and nobody wanted to go outside."
2
Very poor in quality or performance.
"The team put in a dismal performance, losing five games in a row."
How to Use Dismal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBleak and depressing, or, when applied to results, embarrassingly bad.
Common pairings
dismal weather
dismal failure
dismal performance
Word Forms
more dismal comparative, dismals plural, most dismal superlative
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Etymology
From Old French (li) dis mals, "the bad days" — a medieval reference to certain unlucky calendar days, which by Middle English had broadened to mean "gloomy" or "dreary."