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as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest another dreary social event to suffer through

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dreary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dreary are bleak, cheerless, desolate, dismal, and gloomy. While all these words mean "devoid of cheer or comfort," dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

When might bleak be a better fit than dreary?

The meanings of bleak and dreary largely overlap; however, bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

When can cheerless be used instead of dreary?

While in some cases nearly identical to dreary, cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

Where would desolate be a reasonable alternative to dreary?

The words desolate and dreary can be used in similar contexts, but desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

In what contexts can dismal take the place of dreary?

The words dismal and dreary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

When could gloomy be used to replace dreary?

In some situations, the words gloomy and dreary are roughly equivalent. However, gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

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 dreary No matter how dreary the forecast, strong outerwear can make getting dressed for frigid temperatures seamless. Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025 Rainy season may sound dreary, but the temperatures are still high, and the showers tend to come in short bursts, rather than lasting all day. Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025 Here, though, the extended and rather dreary sequence did underline how trope-y the mechanics are. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025 The fireworks that lit up the sky afterward brightened an otherwise dreary night as the Mustangs turned three first-half Hornets turnovers into 11 points, punctuated by a 23-yard interception return into the end zone by Brian Dukes Jr. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dreary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreary
Adjective
  • Meta’s entry-level roles are a welcome addition to a bleak Gen Z job market.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Things looked bleak when the Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but eventually, the Jays came roaring back.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His college career has come to an end in a very depressing way.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • As a result, his work is equal parts depressing and invigorating.
    Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Anyone who suggests Guardiola’s title-winning Manchester City teams were boring should be forced to watch 90 minutes of Mourinho’s Chelsea versus Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool in the mid-2000s and report back.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The details might be boring, but the gathering of money—searching gem dealers, gold dealers—was a full-time job.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Kennedy sought the advice of doctors after dealing with severe memory loss and brain fog, reportedly leading to a scan of his brain that showed a dark spot in the imagery.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Instantly, her apartment faded away, to be replaced by a dark void.
    Big Think, Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Steve's wife, Chelsey Bridges, announced the sad news on Friday in a video shared to her late husband's social pages.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This admission seemed sad—critics are supposed to take pride in withstanding disagreement.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With the departure of disgraced co-creator Justin Roiland after the third season, the show has been steadily improving in quality, with a tremendous cast and some very funny done-in-one episodes that don't have the sometimes tiring cynicism of R&M.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
  • However, some Republicans have spoken out against her and recently reported that some administration officials are tiring of her, suggesting her influence is not unbridled.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Our system isn’t set up to look at whether someone’s lonely or not.
    Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Padres fans turn their lonely eyes to you.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
  • In his brightest moments, Mike is boyishly gentle, a little wacky, and modestly proud — all in ways that Dillane manages to make feel both pathetic and delightful.
    Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dreary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreary. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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