Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dismal” come from?

Dismal comes from Old French dismal, meaning inauspicious or unlucky days associated with astrology.

dismal (English): Disappointingly inadequate; Gloomy and bleak;...

Definitions

  1. Disappointingly inadequate; Gloomy and bleak;...

Ancestry of “dismal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchdismal—

Words derived from “dismal”

  • dismally
  • dismalness
  • dismality
  • undismal
Every word from Old French dismal →