dreary

adjective

ˈdrir-ē How to pronounce dreary (audio)
Definition of drearynext
Enter your own sentence containing dreary , and get words to replace it.
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1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer vowed that he would never take a desk job working in a dreary office

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness decided to see a professional counselor in order to save their dreary marriage

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3
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest another dreary social event to suffer through

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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 Job markets in the Bay Area and California shed thousands of jobs in February, a decline that followed losses in January in a dreary start for the statewide economy in 2025. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 Meanwhile, others have taken issue with the casting of two Australian actors as the leads in the adaptation of a book synonymous with the dreary, gothic English countryside. — Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 What a fun thing — to open up a big, beautiful design on an otherwise dreary day. — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 20 Mar. 2025 The modern Post—the post-Watergate Post—issued Presidential endorsements in every election but the dreary Michael Dukakis–George H. W. Bush matchup, of 1988, when the paper rigorously explained its reasoning for finding neither of the candidates worthy. — Ruth Marcus, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dreary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreary
  1. bleak
  2. depressing
  3. boring
  4. dark
  5. sad
  6. tiring
  7. lonely
  8. pathetic
Adjective
  • All of these episodes have different types of endings: There’s bleak to total cliffhanger to sentimental.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Some practical frameworks and strategies enable leaders to maintain stability, foster engagement, and position their teams for success even when the economic outlook appears bleak.
    — Kara Dennison, SPHR, CPRW, EC, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Some people thought that was too depressing or whatever.
    — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Many learned the depressing answer only when trying to scan badges and getting rejected by security, which treated them more or less like trespassers.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Anything that isn’t someone bleeding out is boring to them, that kind of thing.
    — Maria Fontoura, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2025
  • But here, it’s all viewed through a workplace-comedy format, which captures the kind of boring ordinariness of typical medical care while also getting at some of the big frustrations of understaffing.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Store green tea products in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.
    — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Starting the evening of Jan. 18, just before the ban was planned to take effect, the app went dark for 14 hours.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
    — Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Of course, going from shows to pickleball classes to after-hours jam sessions at B.B. King’s Blues Club can be tiring.
    — DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Sanchez added a selfie from bed, sharing how tiring her pregnancy is.
    — Charna Flam, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Definition of tiring
Adjective
  • This keeps us lonely at a time when the loneliness public health crisis is at an all-time high.
    — Priya Vulchi, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Ro, now a police officer, needs help investigating the death 22 years earlier of their classmate, Ricky, killed in a hit-and-run on a lonely county road.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of lonely
Adjective
  • One of the most pathetic symbols of the new manosphere is Mark Zuckerberg.
    — Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of pathetic

Browse Nearby Words

dreariness
dreary
dreck
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Cite this Entry

“Dreary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreary. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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