dis ‧ mal /ˈdɪzm ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Anglo-French ; Origin: Medieval Latin dies mali 'evil days' ]
1 . if a situation or a place is dismal, it is so bad that it makes you feel very unhappy and hopeless:
The future looks pretty dismal right now.
a dismal, grey afternoon
2 . bad and unsuccessful:
The team’s record so far is pretty dismal.
Her scheme was a dismal failure.
—dismally adverb