Vocabulary
Dismal
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
causing a mood of gloom or depression
Urdu meaning
مایوس کن، افسردہ
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
-
In fact, even before that when the two genders are split into pink and blue at birth.Many of the dismal statistics stem from family values that have dwarfed progress in the name of protection and dignity for women.
Dawn Editorials —
Gender inequality
— 2026-04-06
-
More troubling is the dismal conviction rate just 0.5pc for rape and honour lEconomic participation tells another grim story.
Dawn Editorials —
Women`s Day
— 2026-03-08
-
In Damascus, despite hundreds of nominations, only a handful of women succeeded in securing seats a dismal showing for a city of millions.Revolutions Syria demonstrates yet again are ugly affairs.
Dawn Editorials —
Silver linings
— 2026-02-28
-
Life as a divorced woman in Pakistan particularly one with children is not easy, but as Kafeel shows, staying in a toxic marriage with an abusive man is more dismal still.
Dawn Editorials —
When divorce is best
— 2026-02-14
-
Despite long tenures PPP in Sindh since 2008, PTI in KP since 2013, and repeated PML-N governments in Punjab over decades the quality of governance and service delivery remains dismal.
Dawn Editorials —
Lay of the land
— 2025-12-26
Synonyms
dingy, dim, dark, gloomy, sombre, dreary, drab, dull,
Antonyms
bright, cheerful, encouraging, happy, leasant, hopeful
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
