Meanings
plural bleaknesses
- uncountableusuallyThe characteristic of being bleak.
And there are few better ways to enjoy the rugged bleakness of the fells than from a nice warm train, especially when the weather's constantly changing as the day slips away.
2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 571 more example
Snowsheds and snow fences protect the line on either side of Semskfjell, but the country soon begins to lose some of its bleakness, and the tree line is regained at Lønsdal (1,680 ft. above sea-level), where the line is high on a hillside, commanding widespread views of the mountains.
1957 August 28, H. A. Vallance, “By Rail to the Norwegian Arctic”, in Railway Magazine, page 575Synonyms: dreich
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe characteristic of being bleak.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Finnish ankeus
- ankeuscharacteristic of being bleak
Irish riteacht
- riteachtcharacteristic of being bleak
Romanian paliditate, paloare
- paliditatecharacteristic of being bleak
- paloarecharacteristic of being bleak
Russian бле́дность
- бле́дность (blédnostʹ)characteristic of being bleak
Spanish palidez, tristeza
- palidezcharacteristic of being bleak
- tristezacharacteristic of being bleak
Cite this entry
bleakness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bleakness
“bleakness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bleakness. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bleakness,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bleakness.
Source: bleakness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.