What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Bleak vs Distressing - What's the difference?

bleak | distressing | Synonyms |

Bleak is a synonym of distressing.


As adjectives the difference between bleak and distressing

is that bleak is without color; pale; pallid while distressing is causing distress; upsetting.

As a noun bleak

is a small european river fish (alburnus alburnus ), of the family cyprinidae.

As a verb distressing is

.

bleak

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) bleke (also bleche > English .

Adjective

(er)
  • Without color; pale; pallid.
  • * Foxe
    • When she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as one that were laid out dead.
  • Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds.
  • * Wordsworth
    • Wastes too bleak to rear / The common growth of earth, the foodful ear.
  • * Longfellow
    • at daybreak, on the bleak sea beach
    A bleak and bare rock.
    They escaped across the bleak landscape.
    A bleak , crater-pocked moonscape.
    We hiked across open meadows and climbed bleak mountains.
  • Unhappy; cheerless; miserable; emotionally desolate.
    • Downtown Albany felt bleak that February after the divorce.
    A bleak future is in store for you.
    The news is bleak .
    The survey paints a bleak picture.

    Etymology 2

    Probably from (etyl) bleikja .

    Noun

    (en noun) (wikipedia bleak)
  • A small European river fish (Alburnus alburnus ), of the family Cyprinidae.
    • Synonyms
    * alburn * blay

    References

    Anagrams

    * *

    distressing

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing distress; upsetting

    • Verb

    (head)