bleakness

noun

Definition of bleaknessnext
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness the morning bleakness prompted me to get a fire going

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bleakness But there’s also a discernible strain of hope and timeliness amid the bleakness in some of the most recent hits. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 20 May 2026 Harrison still evokes painterly fugues of light and pungent smells, but they’re offset by a growing bleakness, and there’s less humor. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 Survey after survey underscore the bleakness. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The choice yields a brighter, richer, more varied and nuanced story in which coming-of-age tropes mingle with Gileadean bleakness to reveal new facets of a state premised on male supremacy. — Judy Berman, Time, 30 Apr. 2026 This bleakness makes for numerous memorably tense sequences, including a blackout, a bus ride, a rendezvous at an aquarium, and, bizarrely, a screening of an early Disney cartoon. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026 Harry is a grouch and Oslo is his trash can, which isn’t the way the city is traditionally depicted, with Santelmann making the descent into greater and greater bleakness seem organic. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026 He was viewed as one of the country’s top coaching prospects — a ‘tracksuit manager’ who would play a hands-on role in training, and a welcome tonic after the bleakness of his predecessor Walter Smith’s tenure. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026 To find out more, Newsweek spoke with Pixile Studios co-founder Michael One and narrative designer Ruben, about designing a battle royale in this distinct format, building a global live service as a small indie team, and how cuteness and bleakness are not contradictions. — MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bleakness
  1. chill
  2. bitterness
  3. chilliness
Noun
  • The room, its walls expensively craquelure'd to resemble fractured eggshells, its pale taffeta curtains billowing in the chill English breeze, is more Hollywood boudoir than office.
    — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
  • From versatile and lightweight linen jumpsuits to light sweaters that come in handy when there’s an unexpected chill in the air, the following items are essentials that can always be found in our suitcases.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 5 July 2026
Definition of chill
Noun
  • In the case of Alito and Thomas, there is also a striking note of bitterness.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
  • Looking back now, however, there is no bitterness attached to that chapter.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • Or that Penélope Cruz’s sultry chilliness would jibe with either her male counterparts or Wilde’s diary-of-a-mad-housewife interpretation of a brittle, eager-to-impress woman brimming with creative frustration.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of chilliness

Browse Nearby Words

bleakly
bleakness
blear
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Cite this Entry

“Bleakness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bleakness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bleakness

Nglish: Translation of bleakness for Spanish Speakers

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