1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
it was a drear morning in January when I went to take my driving test
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a barren and drear existence in a remote village
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in moroseness
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drear
Adjective
-
These days, things are pretty bleak at the old mall, which has many vacancies, is startlingly empty of shoppers and appears slated for redevelopment.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025 -
Given that such advances are what fuel economic growth and well-being, the future prospects for our economy — and our country in general — become far more bleak.—
Sheldon Jacobson,
Twin Cities,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Is this a deeply sad, award-winning tearjerker of a drama?—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The schism that developed between Ric and Ben is a very sad part of the story.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the play, Farrow played Sharon, a lonely Iowa woman – estranged from her adult son, divorced from her husband – who decides to take a boarder into her large farmhouse.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
-
But on the flip side, the one tally in the win column remains lonely as the team heads into its Week 5 matchup against the Jets in New York.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His 300th was in a depressing environment — at an empty stadium, in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader in 2020.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The revelation is as depressing as a leverage penalty.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This is a show heavily interested in the way paranoia turns us all into weapons of mass destruction in our communities, especially when everyone’s looking to escape the ennui of their small-town blues.—
Grace Byron,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
-
December ennui is a universal experience, and this film makes no effort to hide the fact that we’re all destined to suffer from the Holiday Blues at one point or another.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Attendees can also expect kid-friendly activities, including hair braiding, glow-in-the-dark face painting, accessory booths, photo booths, and giant inflatable mascots on the dance floor.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Atop her dress, Carey opted for a long-sleeve dark leather jacket with a cropped design and edgy zipper closure.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Characters can be pathetic, and frank about their Toledo Truth Teller’s bleak prospects.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Jimmy Kimmel is a pathetic hate monger.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Call them novels of masculine tedium.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
-
What rescues the film from tedium are the characterizations, which are well-drawn even under the briefest circumstances.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Drear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drear. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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