drear 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdrir How to pronounce drear (audio)
Definition of drearnext
1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer it was a drear morning in January when I went to take my driving test

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness a barren and drear existence in a remote village

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drear

2 of 2

noun

as in moroseness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drear
  1. bleak
  2. sad
  3. lonely
  4. depressing
  5. ennui
  6. dark
  7. pathetic
  8. tedium
Adjective
  • But beneath Pansy’s rage, often a source of that specific, bleak brand of Mike Leigh comedy, lies severe OCD, anxiety, depression, and the grief of having recently lost her mother.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
  • While the art world has felt bleak amid a buckling market, a new art fair is gracing Los Angeles this year.
    Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Of what relevance is an absurdist fable, written in German, about a sad man who transforms into an insect, to an American teenager in the twenty-first century?
    Harper's Magazine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
  • The sad scenes that accompanied Rooney’s final game at Oxford felt a long way from the surge of optimism that greeted his arrival in Devon on a three-year contract in May.
    Richard Amofa, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • The 2024 State of the Global Workplace report by Gallup finds that one in five employees worldwide feels lonely at work.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
  • This book tells the story of her life growing up poor and lonely, and her experiences becoming one of the country’s most original, and beloved, musicians.
    Michael Schaub, Orange County Register, 2 Jan. 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • The depressing part is that the smear campaign worked.
    Nicole Page, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025
  • In October, Lilium was scrambling for additional investments to keep the doors open and by late December the company announced that the only people still on the payroll would be handling the depressing job of liquidation.
    David Szondy, New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of depressing
Noun
  • But rather than play up the murders’ shocking gore or give momentum to Lois’ investigation, the first few episodes are content to linger in the investigator’s ennui.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
  • The reigning champion for the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy has returned for season 3 for more ennui and dark humor with Carmy Berzatto, the show’s prestige chef who returns to Chicago to run the wildly stressful kitchen at his late brother’s sandwich shop.
    Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of ennui
Adjective
  • The resultant movie — a dark, gooey masterpiece — would forever alter Carpenter’s fortunes in Hollywood.
    Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The photos illuminate a dark planet scientists are eager to learn more about.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • In the final, pathetic weeks of his failed presidency, Joe Biden has been casting about desperately for a positive legacy.
    Jack Butler, National Review, 12 Jan. 2025
  • The 10th pick will be your usual pathetic Bear player.
    Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
Definition of pathetic
Noun
  • Family-friendly Offerings The Ritz approaches the usual kids' club tedium with some actually clever ideas.
    Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Waves of them have crashed into communities like these in recent decades — crack, heroin, opioids, now fentanyl, taking shifts filling worlds of tedium and anxiety.
    John Branch, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of tedium
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near drear

dreamy

drear

drearily

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Cite this Entry

“Drear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drear. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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