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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rookie guard Jared McCain has emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise dreary start to the season, but Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon have all been disappointments to some extent. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 The later bulbs follow, their cheer and warmth saving us from the dreary depths of a cloudy, gray, Ohio Valley winter. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 Nov. 2024 Nearly 1,000 miles northwest, green and yellow Green Bay Packers flags punctured the otherwise dreary, rainy gray skies, as the Wisconsin faithful replaced their trademark cheesehead hats with ponchos and tried to stay dry under pop-up tents before their contest with the Detroit Lions. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 For many Americans, the commute to work involves dreary slogs through traffic and crowded subway trains, but some European ports offer a tantalizing glimpse into the future of sustainable electrical transport that will transform urban waterways. Leah Carroll, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dreary 

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 4 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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