The house was surrounded by dirt and decay, creating a gloomy and desolate atmosphere.
The usual synonyms are bare, barren, austere, cheerless, depressing, or dismal. The term is applied to appearance, and metaphorically to mood or outlook.
"Dismal" is an adjective. It is used to describe something that is depressing, gloomy, or bleak.
glum, forlorn, morose dingy, dismal, dreary depressing, hopeless, bleak
bleak
dismal, dark, depressing, grim, discouraging, gloomy, hopeless, dreary, exposed, empty, barren, unsheltered
Some synonyms for bleak are somber, dreary, dark, and cheerless.
bad, awful, dreadful, rotten, terrible, poor, dire, abysmal, sad, gloomy, depressing, dark, bleak, dreary, sombre
bad, awful, dreadful, rotten, terrible, poor, dire, abysmal, sad, gloomy, depressing, dark, bleak, dreary, sombre
bad, awful, dreadful, rotten, terrible, poor, dire, abysmal, sad, gloomy, depressing, dark, bleak, dreary, sombre
sadden, upset, distress, discourage, grieve, oppress, weigh down
power tools. Also dark. Also: raven, ebony, sable, jet, dusky, swarthy, gloomy, sad, depressing, grim, bleak, dismal, ominous
The Bleak mood at the funeral was depressing.