drearn.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [noun] > gloomy quality
drear1563
dreariment1579
drearihead1591
cloudinessa1600
dismalness1620
dolesomeness1625
cheerlessnessa1631
joylessnessa1631
drearihood1647
clouding1654
dismality1723
dreariness1727
mirthlessness1727
sombre1795
undelighta1822
sombreness1847
sombrousness1847
unhomelikeness1858
drearness1861
comfortlessness1865
unhomeliness1879
1563 T. Sackville in W. Baldwin et al. Myrrour for Magistrates (new ed.) xx Sith sorrowe is thy name And that to thee this drere doth wel pertayne.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. viii. sig. H3v A ruefull spectacle of death and ghastly drere.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. xii. sig. Aa3v The hoars Night-rauen, trump of dolefull drere.
1598 Bp. J. Hall Virgidemiarum: 3 Last Bks. iv. vi. 46 His dim eyes see nought but death & drere.
1775 S. J. Pratt Liberal Opinions (1783) IV. 48 In the drear of December.
2. A dreary person. colloquial.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > feeling of weariness or tedium > [noun] > tedious or dull person
grub1653
noddeea1680
insipid1699
rocker1762
bore1812
Dryasdust1819
insipidity1822
prose1844
bagpipe1850
vampire1862
pill1865
jeff1870
terebrant1890
poop1893
stodger1905
club bore1910
nudnik1916
stodge1922
dreary1925
dreep1927
binder1930
drip1932
douchebag1946
drear1958
drag1959
noodge1968
anorak1984
1958 M. Allingham Hide my Eyes x. 101 ‘What an evil-eyed old drear,’ he remarked.
1966 J. B. Priestley Salt is Leaving v. 61 He was just a miserable little drear.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
drearadj.
/drɪə/ Chiefly poetic.
a. = dreary adj. 4.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [adjective] > gloomy or depressing
darkOE
unmerryOE
deathlyc1225
dolefulc1275
elengec1275
dreicha1300
coolc1350
cloudyc1374
sada1375
colda1400
deadlya1400
joylessc1400
unjoyful?c1400
disconsolatea1413
mournfula1425
funeralc1425
uncheerfulc1449
dolent1489
dolesome1533
heavy-hearted1555
glum1558
ungladsome1558
black1562
pleasureless1567
dern1570
plaintive?1570
glummish1573
cheerless1575
comfortless1576
wintry1579
glummy1580
funebral1581
discouraging1584
dernful?1591
murk1596
recomfortless1596
sullen1597
amating1600
lugubrious1601
dusky1602
sable1603
funebrial1604
damping1607
mortifying1611
tearful?1611
uncouth1611
dulsome1613
luctual1613
dismal1617
winterous1617
unked1620
mopish1621
godforsaken?1623
uncheerly1627
funebrious1630
lugubrous1632
drearisome1633
unheartsome1637
feral1641
drear1645
darksome1649
sadding1649
saddening1650
disheartening1654
funebrous1654
luctiferous1656
mestifical1656
tristifical1656
sooty1657
dreary1667
tenebrose1677
clouded1682
tragicala1700
funereal1707
gloomy1710
sepulchrala1711
dumpishc1717
bleaka1719
depressive1727
lugubre1727
muzzy1728
dispiriting1733
uncheery1760
unconsolatory1760
unjolly1764
Decemberly1765
sombre1768
uncouthie1768
depressing1772
unmirthful1782
sombrous1789
disanimating1791
Decemberish1793
grey1794
uncheering1796
ungenial1796
uncomforting1798
disencouraginga1806
stern1812
chilling1815
uncheered1817
dejecting1818
mopey1821
desponding1828
wisht1829
leadening1835
unsportful1837
demoralizing1840
Novemberish1840
frigid1844
morne1844
tragic1848
wet-blanketty1848
morgue1850
ungladdeneda1851
adusk1856
smileless1858
soul-sick1858
Novemberya1864
saturnine1863
down1873
lacklustre1883
Heaven-abandoneda1907
downbeat1952
doomy1967
the mind > emotion > suffering > feeling of weariness or tedium > [adjective] > wearisome or tedious
dreicha1300
alangec1330
joylessa1400
tedious1412
wearifulc1454
weary1465
laboriousa1475
tiresome?a1513
irksome1513
wearisome1530
woodena1566
irkful1570
flat1573
leaden1593
barren1600
soaked1600
unlively1608
dulla1616
irking1629
drearisome1633
drear1645
plumbous1651
fatigable1656
dreary1667
uncurious1685
unenlivened1692
blank1726
disinteresting1737
stupid1748
stagnant1749
trist?1756
vegetable1757
borish1766
uninteresting1769
unenlivening1774
oorie1787
wearying1796
subjectless1803
yawny1805
wearing1811
stuffy1813
sloomy1820
tediousome1823
arid1827
lacklustrous1834
boring1839
featureless1839
slow1840
sodden1853
ennuying1858
dusty1860
cabbagy1861
old1864
mouldy1876
yawnful1878
drab1880
dehydrated1884
interestless1886
jay1889
boresome1895
stodgy1895
stuffy1895
yawnsome1900
sludgy1901
draggy1922
blah1937
nowhere1940
drack1945
stupefactive1970
schleppy1978
wack1986
1645 J. Milton On Christ's Nativity: Hymn xxi, in Poems 10 A drear, and dying sound Affrights the Flamins at their service quaint.
1795 R. Southey Vision Maid of Orleans i. 12 A moor, Barren, and wide, and drear, and desolate.
1851 H. W. Longfellow Golden Legend i. 31 All is silent, sad, and drear.
1968 A. Clarke Darkened Room x. 127 I've bought you..a little towel—I think hospital ones are normally rather drear.
b. Rarely of persons; = dreary adj. 3.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [adjective]
ungladc888
wearyc888
drearyc1000
dreary-moodOE
heavyc1000
unmerryOE
droopy?c1225
mournc1275
sada1300
languishinga1325
amayedc1330
matec1330
unlightc1330
unblissful1340
lowa1382
mishappyc1390
dullc1393
elengely1393
droopinga1400
heavy-hearteda1400
joylessa1400
sytefula1400
mornifc1400
tristy?c1400
lightless?1406
heartlessa1413
tristc1420
amatec1425
languoring?c1425
mirthlessc1430
heavisome1435
darkc1440
gloomingc1440
comfortlessc1460
amateda1470
chermatc1475
tristfula1492
lustless?1507
dolorous1513
ruthful1513
downcast1521
deject1528
heartsicka1529
lumpisha1535
coolc1540
dowlyc1540
glum1547
discouraged1548
uncheerfulc1555
dumpish1560
out of heart1565
sadded1566
amoped1573
tristive1578
desolated1580
dejected1581
à la mort1586
delightless1589
afflicted1590
gladless1590
groanful1590
gloomya1593
muddy1592
sitheful1592
cloudy1594
leaden-hearted1596
disconsolated1598
clum1599
life-weary1599
spiritless1600
dusky1602
chop-fallen1604
flat1604
disanimated1605
jaw-fallen1605
moped1606
chap-fallen1608
decheerful1608
uncheerful1612
lacklustrea1616
pulled1616
dumpya1618
depressed1621
head-hung1632
grum1640
downa1644
dispirited1647
down-at-mouth1649
down in (rarely of) the mouth1649
unhearted1650
sunlessa1658
sadful1658
unlightened1659
chagrin1665
saddened1665
damp1667
moping1674
desponding1688
tristitious1694
unenjoying1697
unraised1697
unheartya1699
unked1698
despondent1699
dismal1705
unjoyful1709
unrejoiced1714
dreara1717
disheartened1720
mumpish1721
unrejoicing1726
downhearted1742
out of spirits1745
chagrineda1754
low-spirited1753
sombrea1767
black-blooded1771
glumpy1780
oorie1787
sombrous1789
morose1791
Novemberish1793
glumpish1800
mopeful1800
die-away1802
blue-devilish1804
blue-devilled1807
malagrugrous1818
down in the hip1826
yonderly1828
sunshineless1831
downfaced1832
broody1851
in a (or the) trough1856
blue-devilly1871
drooped1873
glummy1884
pippy1886
humpy1889
pipped1914
lousy1933
pissed1943
crappy1956
doomy1961
bummed1970
a1717 T. Parnell Fairy Tale (R.) His heart was drear, his hope was cross'd.
1855 R. Browning Saul iv So agonized Saul, drear and stark, blind and dumb.
1962 Movie Nov. 34/3 The Israelites are mainly drear, and the little fun comes from the performances of Anouk Aimee as the queen of Sodom and Stanley Baker as her brother.
Compounds
drear-nighted adj.
ΚΠ
a1821 J. Keats Stanzas i A drear-nighted December.
drear-white adj.
ΚΠ
1844 E. B. Barrett Drama of Exile in Poems I. 111 When he tosseth his head, the drear-white steed.
Derivatives
ˈdrearly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [adverb] > in a gloomy or depressing manner
louringly1576
drearily1579
dernly1590
darkly1597
gloomingly1598
dolesomelya1626
discouraginglya1651
mopishly1651
dismally1653
depressivelya1670
surlily1711
dishearteningly1742
funereally1774
cheerlessly1789
unjoyously1812
ghastily1829
ghastlily1829
desolately1831
unjoyfully1831
depressingly1847
lugubriously1848
dispiritingly1882
uncheerfully1890
drearly1891
greyly1898
1891 G. Meredith One of our Conquerors II. xi. 270 The scene, striking him drearly.
ˈdrearness n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [noun] > gloomy quality
drear1563
dreariment1579
drearihead1591
cloudinessa1600
dismalness1620
dolesomeness1625
cheerlessnessa1631
joylessnessa1631
drearihood1647
clouding1654
dismality1723
dreariness1727
mirthlessness1727
sombre1795
undelighta1822
sombreness1847
sombrousness1847
unhomelikeness1858
drearness1861
comfortlessness1865
unhomeliness1879
1861 D. Greenwell Poems 170 I lose the drearness Of the Present.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1897; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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n.1563adj.1645