dreary

adjective

drea·​ry ˈdrir-ē How to pronounce dreary (audio)
drearier; dreariest
1
: feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement
cheer a dreary mindGeorge Berkeley
2
: having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest : gloomy, dismal
a cold, dreary morning
drearily adverb
dreariness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for dreary

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Examples of dreary in a Sentence

It was a gray, dreary morning. The family struggled through dreary economic times.
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dreary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dreary was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dreary

Cite this Entry

“Dreary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreary. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dreary

adjective
drea·​ry ˈdri(ə)r-ē How to pronounce dreary (audio)
drearier
ˈdrir-ē-ər
; dreariest
: having nothing that provides cheer, comfort, or interest
drearily adverb
dreariness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dreary

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