dismal science

noun

1. the dismal science
   a name for economics coined by Thomas Carlyle

Example Sentences

Economics is often called the “dismal science,” and let me tell you, most of those messages were also pretty dismal.

From Salon

I’ll inject some of my dismal science here: Saying that a recession is on the horizon doesn’t sound optimistic, but in a buyer’s housing market, there are some positives to recessions.

From Slate

If economics is "the dismal science," should we start calling polling "the abysmal science"?

From Salon

You'd think in the 21st century, practitioners of the dismal science would have found some way to control inflation other than putting people out of work.

From Reuters

In a field sometimes derided as the “dismal science,” Dr. Bailey brought an infectious enthusiasm for economics and the ability of economists to shape society.

From Washington Post