Dismal
/ˈdɪz.məl/noun
Causing or showing gloom, misery, or depression.
Did you know?The word comes from a medieval belief in the Latin phrase *dies mali* (“evil days”), tied to unlucky astrological days when important actions were avoided.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
dies mali
“evil days; unlucky days”
Old French
OF
des mal
“evil days, bad times”
Middle English
ME
dismal
“an unlucky day; a day of ill omen”
16th Century
English
dismal
“gloomy, dreary, sorrowful”
Modern English
English
dismal
“causing or marked by gloom or misery”