dismal

/ˈdiz-məl/

Middle English, from dismal, noun, days marked as unlucky in medieval calendars, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin dies mali, literally, evil days

adjective

  1. showing or causing gloom or depression

  2. lacking merit : particularly, bad

  3. disastrous, dreadful

the dismal prison twilight

dismal dreary bleak gloomy cheerless desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort. dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess. dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

geographical name

  1. swamp in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina between Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound about 37 miles (60 kilometers) long, 10 miles (16 kilometers) wide