I don't know what went wrong, but my attempt was a dismal failure.

His first real test and a dismal failure.

And he insisted that the international firm's dismal failure to provide enough security guards in time was merely 'a hitch, which we have sorted out'.

The attempts to copy rugby's 10m rule, for example, were a dismal failure.

This reveals the dismal failure of our prohibitionist stance.

Instead, he was condemned to set out a dismal outlook for the economy in the dreariest possible terms.

Without them, the rural market would be facing a dismal outlook, commentators say.

Stock fell 7 per cent to its lowest level since 2012 as shareholders focused on the dismal outlook for a company with big problems and a colossal pension deficit.

In it, he painted a dismal picture of government departments that had no clue about how to keep financial books.

Despite the dismal picture for the public finances, there were encouraging signs last month.

But from the other, it's a dismal picture: an ageing workforce, too few graduates coming on stream and an undignified fight over anybody with a few years' experience.

The jet stream has been to blame for this dismal picture.

The reporter was unable to find out classified information, and instead invented maintenance records of the fleet that painted a dismal picture.

Halfway figures present a dismal prospect, revenues of 180 million translating into operating profits of only 3.8 million.

Dismal prospect, wretched time in the interim, inglorious place in history.

How could this dismal prospect be avoided?

Examples were when he spoke about pre-emptive retrenchments and when he warned of the dismal prospects of a jobless recovery.

City were also aware of their dismal record at this ground.

And note that for all its whizzy lawyers and highly educated mandarins, even national government has a dismal record of getting its contracts right.

Unlike most relegated sides, the blame may not be placed firmly at the door of the manager despite a dismal record of three wins from 17 matches.

Not when you were trying to end the dismal record of dropping points against opponents you were supposed to swat aside with contemptuous ease.

Such a dismal record overall reflects ill on those captains (mea culpa, mea culpa) and coaches who have been in charge of strategy.

Either way, the dismal results of the handgun ban should be required reading for all politicians before they vote to ban anything.

The testing, which had dismal results, presented its own set of problems.

Due to these dismal results, she concentrated on training for over a month.

If you are sick of dismal returns from your savings account, you may be considering dipping a toe into the world of investment.

To add to investors' woes, such funds may also produce dismal returns.

These stock market-linked savings plans were sold through the 1980s and 1990s with interest-only mortgages, but many have since produced dismal returns.

Within months of joining, he had become the scapegoat for what was a dismal season.

Honda had endured a dismal season up to that point.

Defending champ, iron will, dismal season.

He never criticized the players or coaches, even during a dismal season.

He was retained as coach for the 2009-10 season, a particularly dismal season for the club.

After a period of dismal weather comes a new nightmare for gardeners — a big alien slug whose numbers are growing.

The depressing combination of 'cabin fever', returning to work and dismal weather help bring troubles to a head.

Yesterday, in dismal weather, it was a believable grey.

The dismal weather did have some more fortunate consequences.

These zingy gloves will cheer you up in this dismal weather.

It's a much-needed boost at the end of a dismal year.

It was a dismal year for gold, its worst in more than three decades.

Yesterday's welcome winner, though, was only his 11th of a dismal year.

Other areas that could be ripe for consolidation include technology, media and telecoms companies, as well as retailers, as analysts expect the high street to face another dismal year.

There were encouraging signs, though, that a turnaround in form could come here after a dismal year so far.