dreary

adjective

drea·ry ˈdrir-ē

drearier; dreariest

: feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement

cheer a dreary mind

George Berkeley

: having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest : gloomy, dismal

a cold, dreary morning

drearily

ˈdrir-ə-lē

adverb

dreariness

ˈdrir-ē-nəs

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for dreary

dismal, dreary, bleak, gloomy, cheerless, desolate mean devoid of cheer or comfort.

dismal indicates extreme and utterly depressing gloominess.

dismal weather

dreary, often interchangeable with dismal, emphasizes discouragement resulting from sustained dullness or futility.

a dreary job

bleak suggests chill, dull, and barren characteristics that utterly dishearten.

the bleak years of the depression

gloomy often suggests lack of hope or promise.

gloomy war news

cheerless stresses absence of anything cheering.

a drab and cheerless office

desolate adds an element of utter remoteness or lack of human contact to any already disheartening aspect.

a desolate outpost

Example Sentences

It was a gray, dreary morning. The family struggled through dreary economic times.

Recent Examples on the Web The daily routine of getting into a pair of sweats and slipping in for 45 minutes almost every day of the week during the peak dreary months of early 2021 saved me from going a little bit batty.

Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 24 Nov. 2022 The only thing worse than waking up to a dreary, rainy day is soaking your feet on your morning commute or afternoon coffee run.

Laura Fisher, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2022 In their biggest venture, the city and several partners joined forces on a $110 million project to transform a dreary surface lot and neglected public area covering nearly an entire city block in the heart of downtown.

Joe Barrett, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 This dreary weather will only get drearier by the afternoon as rain showers saturate the East Bay hills with up to three-tenths of an inch.

Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Nov. 2022 Sophie, a golden-haired seamstress, dreams of escaping her dreary life to become a princess, while Agatha, with her grim aesthetic and offbeat mother, has the makings of a real witch.

Andy Meek, BGR, 26 Oct. 2022 His team pelted by a deluge of yards and points on a dreary, wet afternoon, Chip Kelly absorbed one final jab before leaving the field.

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2022 So those dreary relatives may represent far more to any of us than good or bad company.

Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2022 But the film has nothing to add to the canon of depressing LGBTQ+ period dramas that’s profound enough to overcome the story’s dreary packaging.

Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dreary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.