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 Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026 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
  • Through such simple but evocative images, Zhang creates a whole world of suspicion and sadness.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Throughout, there’s a lingering sadness, which is properly explored in a superb episode made up of a trifecta of flashbacks, and his dour constitution still pairs perfectly with Helen’s reassuring nature.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • It’s found to result in improved coping, increased mental clarity, better emotion regulation, reduced depression, and ironically less loneliness.
    — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Anxiety and depression are common symptoms of the condition that intensify in the days leading up to a woman’s period.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 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
  • Moments later, the six of us were swallowed up in the gloom of a dense fog.
    — Don J. Dinndorf, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Some commentators point to ongoing inflation as the reason for gloom.
    — Erin Kay Lockwood, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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