bleak

¹

[ bleek ]

adjective

, bleak·er, bleak·est.

1. bare, desolate, and often windswept:

   a bleak plain.

2. cold and piercing; raw:

   a bleak wind.

3. without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary:

   a bleak future.

bleak

²

[ bleek ]

noun

1. a European freshwater fish, Alburnus alburnus, having scales with a silvery pigment that is used in the production of artificial pearls.

bleak

¹

/ bliːk /

noun

1. any slender silvery European cyprinid fish of the genus Alburnus , esp A. lucidus , occurring in slow-flowing rivers

bleak

²

/ bliːk /

adjective

1. exposed and barren; desolate
2. cold and raw
3. offering little hope or excitement; dismal

   a bleak future

Derived Forms

• ˈbleakly, adverb
• ˈbleakness, noun

Other Words From

• bleakish adjective
• bleakly adverb
• bleakness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleak¹

First recorded in 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

Origin of bleak²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bleke, noun use of bleke “pale”; bleak ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bleak¹

C15: probably from Old Norse bleikja white colour; related to Old High German bleiche bleach

Origin of bleak²

Old English blāc bright, pale; related to Old Norse bleikr white, Old High German bleih pale

Synonym Study

See austere.

Example Sentences

She gave him hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then, after her death, her Colcom Foundation, named after the bleak and satirical novel “Cold Comfort Farm,” continued to donate to Tanton’s organizations — more than $150 million.

From Salon

He was known for roles on stage and screeen including in TV sitcoms Not Going Out and Bedtime, dramas like Bleak House and Gentleman Jack, and soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.

From BBC

"Up until that point, I hadn't thought I'd see the year 2000. So it was very bleak and there wasn't a lot of hope," he says.

From BBC

Next week will come another bleak milestone: The conflict will hit the 1,000-day mark.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite the bleak election results and the intra-party blame game, Biden urged his fellow Democrats to keep their faith in the country.

From Salon

Related Words

• black
• cheerless
• dark
• dismal
• grim
• hopeless
• sad