dreary

1 of 2

adjective

drea·​ry ˈdrir-ē 

drearier; dreariest

1

: feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement

… cheer a dreary mind …

—George Berkeley

2

: 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

dreariness

2 of 2

noun

drear·​i·​ness -rēnə̇s 

-rin-

plural -es

1

archaic : sadness

2

a

: the quality or state of being dull and uninteresting : monotony, gloominess

the occasional dreariness of being dutiful

—Claudia Cassidy

b

: something that is dull, monotonous, and uninteresting

the concert was one of those fragmentary drearinesses that people endure because they are fashionable

—Mark Twain

Synonyms of dreary

Adjective

• bleak
• dark
• lonely
• somber
• depressing
• depressive
• desolate
• solemn
• darkening
• murky
• cold
• gray
• lonesome
• miserable
• morbid

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

Adjective

It was a gray, dreary morning.

The family struggled through dreary economic times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Over the sound of impassioned chattering and the AC’s intermittent cranking, one prevailing question loomed over the group sheltering from the dreary evening outside: What billionaire corporation is behind the mysterious data center? —Sarah Henry, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025

But its German- and Czech-style beers would sparkle even in a dreary moonscape. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

Anyway, this shirt looks like the first part of that: the dreary, colourless past before life brightens up significantly. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025

In winter, the glass garage doors stay closed, casting a warm glow onto the street and drawing people in from the cold and dreary to eat shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Portlanders. —Chelsea Frank, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

Middle English drerinesse, from Old English drēorignys, from drēorig sad, bloody + -nys, -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dreary

• beery
• bleary
• cheery
• cirri
• dearie
• deary
• eerie
• kiri
• leary
• leery
• peery
• query

Kids Definition

dreary

adjective

drea·​ry ˈdri(ə)r-ē 

drearier

ˈdrir-ē-ər

; dreariest

: having nothing that provides cheer, comfort, or interest

drearily

ˈdrir-ə-lē 

adverb

dreariness

ˈdrir-ē-nəs 

noun