Feeling Wheel
What feeling bleak is like
Feeling bleak means the future looks grey and empty, with little to look forward to. It can settle in during long hard spells, like illness, money worries or a dark winter.
If this feeling has stayed with you for a while, or you feel unsafe, please talk to someone you trust or a doctor. If you're in danger right now, contact your local emergency services.
Bleak or despair?
Bleak is seeing the future as dull and grim. Despair is a complete loss of hope, and it tends to feel more intense. Read more about feeling despair.
Finding bleak on the feelings wheel
On the Feeling Wheel, bleak sits in the Sad group. Start in the middle of the wheel with sad, then move outwards to bleak. If it's close but not quite right, the other sad words below may fit better. It's also normal to feel more than one thing at once.
Other words in the Sad group
Sad words range from a mild let-down to deep grief and hopelessness.
- Depressed Feeling deep unhappiness or sadness
- Hurt Feeling emotional pain or distress
- Deflated Feeling temporarily let down or disappointed
- Melancholy Feeling deep, reflective sadness
- Sorrowful Feeling grief or sadness
- Gloomy Feeling pessimistic or downcast
- Discouraged Feeling a loss of confidence or enthusiasm
- Insignificant Feeling unimportant or overlooked
- Broken Feeling deeply emotionally damaged
- Bored Feeling uninterested or weary
- Numb Feeling unable to experience emotions
- Apathetic Feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern
- Empty Feeling a lack of meaning or fulfilment
- Despair Feeling complete loss of hope
- Disillusioned Feeling disappointed that reality isn’t as expected
- Miserable Feeling extremely unhappy or uncomfortable
- Disappointed Feeling sad that expectations weren’t met
- Indifferent Feeling no strong pull in any direction
Name what you're feeling
Feeling Wheel puts all 118 of these words on one wheel. Tap the ones that fit, add a note if you like, and see your patterns over time. Free on iPhone and Android.