Bleak

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bliːk/
• Rhymes: -iːk

From Middle English bleke (also bleche >

English bleach ("pale, bleak")), and bleike (due to Old Norse), and earlier Middle English blak, blac ("pale, wan"), from Old English blǣc, blǣċ, blāc ("bleak, pale, pallid, wan, livid; bright, shining, glittering, flashing") and Old Norse bleikr ("pale, whitish")

Online Etymology Dictionary|bleak

, from Proto-Germanic *blaikaz ("pale, shining"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlē-, *bʰel- ("to shine"). Cognate with Dutch bleek ("pale, wan, pallid"), Low German blek ("pale"), German bleich ("pale, wan, sallow"), Danish bleg ("pale"), Swedish blek ("pale, pallid"), Faroese bleikur ("pale"), Icelandic bleikur ("pale, pink").

Full definition of bleak

Adjective

1. Without color; pale; pallid.
• FoxeWhen she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as one that were laid out dead.
2. Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds.
• WordsworthWastes too bleak to rear
  The common growth of earth, the foodful ear.
• Longfellowat daybreak, on the bleak sea beach
3. Unhappy; cheerless; miserable; emotionally desolate.Downtown Albany felt bleak that February after the divorce.A bleak future is in store for you.

Probably from Old Norse bleikja.

Noun

1. A small European river fish (Alburnus alburnus), of the family Cyprinidae.

Synonyms

• alburn
• blay

Anagrams

• Blake
• Kaleb