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GRE vocabulary

bleak

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore B words

offering little hope or comfort; cold and unwelcoming in atmosphere or prospect

Word origin: From Old Norse bleikr, pale.

In a sentence

Bleak in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing bleak in a sentence.

The economist painted a bleak picture of the region's prospects after the factory closures.

The committee's bleak forecast left little doubt that funding would not survive the next budget cycle.

Synonyms
Antonyms
hopefulbrightpromisingcheerful
Usage & nuance

Using “bleak” well

Bleak conveys both physical desolation and an absence of hope. The tone is somber rather than merely neutral.

Common questions

Questions about “bleak

Bleak (adjective) means offering little hope or comfort; cold and unwelcoming in atmosphere or prospect
Here is bleak used in an example sentence: "The economist painted a bleak picture of the region's prospects after the factory closures." Another example: "The committee's bleak forecast left little doubt that funding would not survive the next budget cycle."
Common synonyms for bleak include grim, austere, desolate, forbidding.
Antonyms of bleak include hopeful, bright, promising, cheerful.
Bleak clusters with grim, austere, desolate, and forbidding. Its antonyms hopeful, bright, promising, and cheerful signal the optimistic-context answers.
Yes. Bleak is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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