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Dismal vs Doleful - What's the difference?

dismal | doleful | Related terms |

Dismal is a related term of doleful.


As adjectives the difference between dismal and doleful

is that dismal is disappointingly inadequate while doleful is filled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.

dismal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Disappointingly inadequate.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 22, author=Sam Sheringham, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Liverpool 0-1 West Brom , passage=Liverpool's efforts thereafter had an air of desperation as their dismal 2012 league form continued.}}
  • Gloomy and bleak.
  • Depressing.
  • *, chapter=12
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. 'Twas a dismal sort of place, with hair wreaths, and wax fruit, and tin lambrekins, and land knows what all. It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "dismal" is often applied: failure, performance, state, record, place, result, scene, season, year, economy, future, fate, weather, news, condition, history.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * dismal science

    doleful

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Filled with grief, mournful, bringing feelings of sadness.
  • The doleful peal of the bell indicated another funeral was being held.