The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - bleak adj.

1) cheerless, dreary, depressing, dismal, gloomy, sombre, melancholy, sad, unhappy, mournful: 1940 was one of the bleakest periods in British history. 2) cold, chilly, raw, bitter: The days were getting shorter, and the bleak winter was setting in. 3) barren, bare, exposed, windswept, desolate: How depressing the bleak landscape of the Russian steppes can be in winter!