/ Dictionary / Index D dismal: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: dis•mal Pronunciation: (diz'mul), [key] — adj. causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy: dismal weather. characterized by ineptness or lack of skill, competence, effectiveness, imagination, or interest; pitiful: Our team played a dismal game. disastrous; calamitous. unlucky; sinister. —n. a tract of swampy land, usually along the coast. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: dismal (Thesaurus) disloyalty Dismal Swamp Related Content Daily Word Quiz: soporific Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language