different between shocking vs dismal

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???k??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???k??/
• Rhymes: -?k??

Adjective

shocking (comparative more shocking, superlative most shocking)

1. Inspiring shock; startling.
2. Unusually obscene or lewd.
3. (colloquial) Extremely bad.

   What a shocking calamity!

Synonyms

See Thesaurus:surprising

Translations

Verb

shocking

1. present participle of shock

Noun

shocking (plural shockings)

1. The application of an electric shock.

Anagrams

• Hockings, chokings

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman dismal, from Old French (li) dis mals ("(the) bad days"), from Medieval Latin di?s (“day”) m?l? (“bad”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?zm?l/
• Rhymes: -?zm?l

Adjective

dismal (comparative more dismal, superlative most dismal)

1. Disastrous, calamitous
2. Disappointingly inadequate.
3. Causing despair; gloomy and bleak.

4. Depressing, dreary, cheerless.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "dismal" is often applied: failure, performance, state, record, place, result, scene, season, year, economy, future, fate, weather, news, condition, history.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:cheerless

Derived terms

• dismal science

Translations

Anagrams

• almids