dismals
Definition
Noun (plural in form but used with a plural verb): - A state of low spirits or depression: "dismals" refers to a feeling of sadness, gloom, or melancholy. It is almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase "the dismals."
Usage Examples
- (She has been feeling sad and depressed.)
- (The weather caused a gloomy mood.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be in the dismals": to be in a state of dejection or low spirits.
- After the argument, he was in the dismals for days. (He felt deeply unhappy and withdrawn.)
Variants and Related Words
Dismal (adj): causing or expressing gloom or depression.
- The room was painted a dismal grey. (The colour was sad and uninviting.)
Dismally (adv): in a gloomy or depressing manner.
- The project failed dismally. (It failed badly and sadly.)
Synonyms
- The blues: a state of sadness or depression.
- Melancholy: a deep, persistent sadness.
- The doldrums: a period of inactivity or low spirits.
Related Idioms
- The dismals (fixed phrase): no common idioms beyond the core expression; it is itself an idiomatic noun phrase.
Notes for Learners
- "Dismals" is rarely used in modern English outside of the set phrase "the dismals." It is somewhat old-fashioned or literary.
- It is always preceded by the definite article "the."
- Do not confuse "dismals" with the adjective "dismal" (e.g., "a dismal day"). The noun form is limited to this specific usage.