as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
historically regarded as a dreich corner of Britain, Scotland's very name comes from the Greek word for "dark"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreich
Adjective
-
The job market is showing intermittent signs of recovery after a bleak 2025.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026 -
The outlook appeared so bleak that Alexey Miranchuk gestured to the heavens and said, if the team could acquire help from a higher power and get a road win, maybe the ship could be steered in the right direction.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
But what exactly happens to these baby stars next isn't always clear (literally) because they are buried deep within clouds of dark, dusty gas that obscure them.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
All the bedrooms can be found upstairs, including one that’s currently being used as an office and a primary suite flaunting dual dressing rooms and baths, plus a sauna clad in dark gray stone.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Because what could be more depressing than just passively watching the world burn and melt and crumble?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
This level of security is a depressing necessity in modern-day Britain.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Soon afterward, with minimal warning, my mother moved to a small white farmhouse on a lonely hillside in rural New Hampshire.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
But being an anti-Trump Republican has become a lonelier job in recent years as the party establishment’s support solidified behind Trump during the historically successful campaign in 2024 that returned him to the White House.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is a somber, aching sequence for Bernthal, which Storer shoots from down at his and Ireland’s level, in a long take that is now customary for this show.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
-
When Francophiles aligned with Jefferson wore tricolor cockades, Washington’s men responded with sombre black ones.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Treating depressive symptoms without looking at factors such as childhood trauma, the loss of a loved one, or being laid off from a job is an incomplete approach, many mental health researchers and clinicians say.—
Aneri Pattani,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But its depressive effect can harm mental health, physical health, and personal relationships.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On desolate rural strips or town squares, Mary is always the same.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
Considered ancient leftovers from the formation of our solar system, these desolate bodies don't meet the criteria to be considered planets.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Milan, Pietrantoni had just worked with a design studio on an installation with cold lighting, which was drawing interested crowds.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Dreich.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreich. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
