DISMAL, adjective s as z. [I am not satisfied with the etymologies of this word which I have seen. ] 1. Dark; gloomy; as a dismal shade. 2. Sorrowful; dire; horrid; melancholy; calamitous; unfortunate; as a dismal accident; dismal effects. 3. Frightful; horrible; as a dismal scream.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI