More bleak; more bare, desolate, cold, or without hope or brightness.
Comparative form of 'bleak,' from Old Norse 'bleikr' meaning pale or whitish. The sense shifted from describing pale color to describing barren landscapes and eventually to describe emotionally desolate situations.
The word 'bleak' jumped from meaning 'pale' to meaning 'depressing'—it's like our ancestors looked at pale, windswept landscapes and realized they felt lonely, so the word absorbed that emotion!
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