dreariness

noun

Definition of drearinessnext
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits my own dreariness seemed to match the dismal weather we were having

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dreariness Days shorten, shadows lengthen, and the cold and dreariness of winter return. — Thomas A. Dubois, The Conversation, 17 June 2026 Valentine’s Day is like a sweet little respite from February dreariness. — Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreariness
  1. sadness
  2. depression
  3. melancholy
  4. mournfulness
  5. gloom
Noun
  • The girls spend the day together — Laura has made an entire treasure hunt to celebrate Good Eagle’s birthday — and while there are moments of joy, there’s a lot of sadness weighing down on their tiny shoulders, too.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness over the recent deaths in the country’s south.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • That occurs along a very typical-looking site that has a roughly 2,000 meter depression at the location of spreading, flanked by a series of rugged ridges.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
  • In 2019, the agency approved Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato, an esketamine nasal spray, for treatment-resistant depression in adults (it was later OK’d as a standalone depression treatment).
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness
Noun
  • The broader mood tracks right alongside, with 40% expecting AI to be bad for society over the next twenty years against 16% who expect good, the gloom running deepest among adults under 30, and 63% saying the whole thing is moving too fast.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
  • The partying turned to gloom after the temblors.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of gloom

Browse Nearby Words

drearily
dreariness
dreary
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Cite this Entry

“Dreariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreariness. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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