From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Bleak \Bleak\ (bl[=e]k), a. [OE. blac, bleyke, bleche, AS.
bl[=a]c, bl[=ae]c, pale, wan; akin to Icel. bleikr, Sw. blek,
Dan. bleg, OS. bl[=e]k, D. bleek, OHG. pleih, G. bleich; all
from the root of AS. bl[imac]can to shine; akin to OHG.
bl[imac]chen to shine; cf. L. flagrare to burn, Gr. fle`gein
to burn, shine, Skr. bhr[=a]j to shine, and E. flame.
[root]98. Cf. {Bleach}, {Blink}, {Flame}.]
1. Without color; pale; pallid. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
When she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as
one that were laid out dead. --Foxe.
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2. Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds.
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Wastes too bleak to rear
The common growth of earth, the foodful ear.
--Wordsworth.
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At daybreak, on the bleak sea beach. --Longfellow.
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3. Cold and cutting; cheerless; as, a bleak blast.
[1913 Webster] -- {Bleak"ish}, a. -- {Bleak"ly}, adv. --
{Bleak"ness}, n.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
bleakness
n 1: a bleak and desolate atmosphere; "the nakedness of the
landscape" [syn: {bleakness}, {desolation}, {bareness},
{nakedness}]
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