51Թ

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View synonyms for

bleak

1

[ bleek ]

adjective

bleaker, bleakest.
  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

/ ː /

adjective

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

    a bleak future

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bleak

2

/ ː /

noun

  1. any slender silvery European cyprinid fish of the genus Alburnus , esp A. lucidus , occurring in slow-flowing rivers
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ𲹰, adverb
  • ˈ𲹰Ա, noun
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • 𲹰i adjective
  • 𲹰l adverb
  • 𲹰n noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of bleak1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bleke “pale,” blend of variants bleche ( Old English ǣ ) and blake ( Old English ); 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 ‼”; bleak 1
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of bleak1

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

Origin of bleak2

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

See austere.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Today, the mood around angry young guys seems pretty bleak.

From

This problem is represented starkly in the bleak picture Adolescence paints of male-female friendships in the social media age.

From

He was put on a ventilator and doctors gave a bleak prognosis.

From

The last connects to the bleakest memory outie Mark and his wife share – a miscarriage that followed months of difficulty conceiving.

From

Dudley councillor Andrew Tromans quit the party in September to sit as a Liberal Democrat as he said the general election result had turned into a "bleak vision of continuity austerity".

From

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