dreary
adjective
drea·ry ˈdrir-ē 
drearier; dreariest
1
: feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement
cheer a dreary mind
George Berkeley
George Berkeley2
: having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest : gloomy, dismal
a cold, dreary morning
drearily
ˈdrir-ə-lē
adverb dreariness
ˈdrir-ē-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- black
- bleak
- cheerless
- chill
- Cimmerian
- cloudy
- cold
- comfortless
- dark
- darkening
- depressing
- depressive
- desolate
- dire
- disconsolate
- dismal
- drear
- dreich [chiefly Scottish]
- elegiac
- elegiacal
- forlorn
- funereal
- gloomy
- glum
- godforsaken
- gray
- grey
- lonely
- lonesome
- lugubrious
- miserable
- morbid
- morose
- murky
- plutonian
- saturnine
- sepulchral
- solemn
- somber
- sombre
- sullen
- sunless
- tenebrific
- tenebrous
- wretched
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
It was a gray, dreary morning. The family struggled through dreary economic times.
Recent Examples on the Web Shura looks at the scene outside the window on a dreary, gray day and re-creates that, but the teacher had a more cheerful image in mind—something that Alyona immediately understood. Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 The unofficial end to summer, Labor Day weekend, was rather dreary in Northeast Ohio. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 No matter how dreary winter gets, one look at 'Samba' will make your day seem brighter. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2022 This fantasy sequence — illustrating how Diana would rather be on a date at a disco than at a dreary classical concert — reflected the show’s unapologetic commitment to pop maximalism. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 Even while talking through Zoom with a spotty Internet connection, Juliana Joel’s confidence, charisma, and undeniable charm beams through the screen and lights up my dreary office. Olivia Zayas Ryan, refinery29.com, 3 Aug. 2022 That’s where Marco, a 16-year-old on break from his dreary Scottish boarding school, befriends U.S. GI turned fisherman Nicola (played by Franco). K.j. Yossman, Variety, 12 July 2022 So San Francisco, my favorite place, was jumpy, but dreary Erie, Penn. — where my room overlooked the lake — turned out to be as pretty and light-filled as Venice. New York Times, 27 July 2022 In a showing as dreary as the cold, wet weather outside Alaska Airlines Arena, the Bruins couldn’t make a shot and their usually sturdy defense was not offering much resistance. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2022 See More
Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 The unofficial end to summer, Labor Day weekend, was rather dreary in Northeast Ohio. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 No matter how dreary winter gets, one look at 'Samba' will make your day seem brighter. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2022 This fantasy sequence — illustrating how Diana would rather be on a date at a disco than at a dreary classical concert — reflected the show’s unapologetic commitment to pop maximalism. New York Times, 7 Aug. 2022 Even while talking through Zoom with a spotty Internet connection, Juliana Joel’s confidence, charisma, and undeniable charm beams through the screen and lights up my dreary office. Olivia Zayas Ryan, refinery29.com, 3 Aug. 2022 That’s where Marco, a 16-year-old on break from his dreary Scottish boarding school, befriends U.S. GI turned fisherman Nicola (played by Franco). K.j. Yossman, Variety, 12 July 2022 So San Francisco, my favorite place, was jumpy, but dreary Erie, Penn. — where my room overlooked the lake — turned out to be as pretty and light-filled as Venice. New York Times, 27 July 2022 In a showing as dreary as the cold, wet weather outside Alaska Airlines Arena, the Bruins couldn’t make a shot and their usually sturdy defense was not offering much resistance. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English drery, from Old English drēorig sad, bloody, from drēor gore; akin to Old High German trūrēn to be sad, Goth driusan to fall
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
dreary
adjective
drea·ry ˈdrir-ē
drearier; dreariest
: dull and depressing
a dreary, rainy Monday
dreary
adjective
1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer vowed that he would never take a desk job working in a dreary office Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- bleak
- dark
- lonely
- somber
- depressing
- depressive
- desolate
- darkening
- murky
- cold
- gray
- lonesome
- miserable
- gloomy
- morbid
- solemn
- drear
- cheerless
- dismal
- wretched
- glum
- blue
- lugubrious
- depressed
- morose
- black
- sullen
- grey
- sad
- forlorn
- chill
- oppressive
- godforsaken
- comfortless
- dire
- cloudy
- sunless
- sepulchral
- funereal
- melancholy
- dreich
- disconsolate
- sombre
- saturnine
- dull
- elegiac
- tenebrous
- plutonian
- unhappy
- woebegone
- grim
- hopeless
- elegiacal
- dispiriting
- dim
- desperate
- drab
- dejected
- mirthless
- woeful
- distressful
- melancholic
- mournful
- negative
- tenebrific
- Cimmerian
- discouraging
- disheartening
- down
- despondent
- dismaying
- pessimistic
- dour
- inconsolable
- droopy
- distressing
- sorrowful
- upsetting
- hangdog
- menacing
- low
- lamentable
- discomfiting
- colorless
- plaintive
- threatening
- lowery
- louring
- lowering
- loury
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- bright
- cheerful
- cheery
- sunshiny
- festive
- friendly
- joyous
- joyful
- comforting
- gay
- jolly
- cordial
- merry
- buoyant
- mirthful
- blithe
- gay
- optimistic
- hopeful
- blithesome
- heartwarming
- cheering
- encouraging
- jocund
- lighthearted
- lightsome
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness decided to see a professional counselor in order to save their dreary marriage Synonyms & Similar Words
- depressing
- sad
- pathetic
- melancholy
- drear
- dismal
- mournful
- unfortunate
- heartbreaking
- tearful
- saddening
- disturbing
- teary
- distressful
- heartrending
- sorry
- lamentable
- woeful
- deplorable
- distressing
- dispiriting
- perturbing
- disquieting
- affecting
- grievous
- moving
- discouraging
- discomforting
- disheartening
- touching
- poignant
- discomposing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cheery
- happy
- glad
- pleasant
- delightful
- inspiring
- uplifting
- stimulating
- enjoyable
- agreeable
- welcome
- pleasurable
- satisfying
- heartening
- stirring
- cheering
- pleasing
- exhilarating
- heartwarming
- thrilling
3
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest another dreary social event to suffer through Synonyms & Similar Words
- boring
- tiring
- dull
- dusty
- wearying
- slow
- weary
- old
- stupid
- drab
- heavy
- monotonous
- dry
- humdrum
- annoying
- tedious
- uninteresting
- tiresome
- stodgy
- pedestrian
- drudging
- arid
- irritating
- wearisome
- tame
- colorless
- stuffy
- monochromatic
- ponderous
- stale
- jejune
- leaden
- ho-hum
- numbing
- pallid
- barren
- mind-numbing
- exhausting
- blah
- sterile
- flat
- unexciting
- gray
- spiritless
- jading
- dullish
- soggy
- uninspiring
- uneventful
- unimaginative
- prosaic
- prosy
- blank
- unrewarding
- irksome
- unspectacular
- undramatic
- unsensational
- draining
- earthbound
- grey
- pedantic
- dispiriting
- enervating
- aseptic
- bothersome
- fatiguing
- ordinary
- inanimate
- vapid
- debilitating
- discouraging
- unexceptional
- tepid
- common
- pleasureless
- commonplace
- disheartening
- cumbersome
- suspenseless
- plodding
- wearing
- unnewsworthy
- enfeebling
- palling
- demoralizing
- unsurprising
- pokey
- poky
- longsome
- lumbering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- interesting
- wonderful
- marvellous
- intriguing
- wondrous
- spectacular
- exciting
- marvelous
- involving
- surprising
- riveting
- engrossing
- amazing
- fabulous
- sensational
- awesome
- engaging
- astonishing
- exhilarating
- amusing
- inspiring
- absorbing
- gripping
- thrilling
- astounding
- breathtaking
- entertaining
- stimulating
- charming
- energizing
- rousing
- electrifying
- alluring
- attractive
- poignant
- fascinating
- enlivening
- enchanting
- stirring
- invigorating
- beguiling
- galvanizing
- enthralling
- animating
- moving
- bewitching
- diverting
- entrancing
- touching
- rip-roaring
- eye-opening
- spellbinding
- hair-raising
- suspenseful
- attracting
- provocative
- tantalizing
- captivating
- mesmerizing
- arresting
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of dreary are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dismal, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.
a dreary job
The meanings of bleak and dreary largely overlap; however, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.
the bleak years of the depression
While in some cases nearly identical to dreary, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.
a drab and cheerless office
The words desolate and dreary can be used in similar contexts, but desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.
a desolate outpost
The words dismal and dreary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.
dismal weather
In some situations, the words gloomy and dreary are roughly equivalent. However, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.
gloomy war news
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