dismal
/ˈdɪzməl/adjective, noun
dismal is spelled D-I-S-M-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, dismal means “Disastrous, calamitous” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in dismal?
| Letters | 6: D-I-S-M-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,629th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is dismal?
Dismal appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dismal?
- /ˈdɪzməl/
Dismal has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-dismal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dismal
- more dismal comparative
- most dismal superlative
- dismals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dismal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Disastrous, calamitous.
- 2
Disappointingly inadequate.
He received a dismal compensation.
- 3
Causing despair; gloomy and bleak.
The storm made for a dismal weekend
- 4
Depressing, dreary, cheerless.
She was lost in dismal thoughts of despair
noun
- 1
USdatedA dreary swamp in eastern North Carolina or Virginia in the United States.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dismal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lamentable, misérable , morne, lugubre , déprimant |
| German | unzureichend, unzulänglich, jämmerlich, kläglich, miserabel , traurig |
| Portuguese | inadequado , sombrio |
| Spanish | pésimo, mísero , lúgubre, funesto, tétrico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dismal come from?
From Middle English dismal, dismale, from Anglo-Norman dismal, from Old French (li) dis mals (“(the) bad days”), from Medieval Latin diēs malī (“bad days”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).