dreary

[dreer-ee]

adjective

drearier, dreariest 

1. causing sadness or gloom.

   Synonyms: comfortless, depressing, cheerless, drear, dismal, gloomy
   Antonyms: cheerful

2. dull; boring.

   Synonyms: tiresome, wearisome, monotonous, tedious
   Antonyms: interesting

3. sorrowful; sad.

dreary

/ ˈdrɪərɪ /

adjective

1. sad or dull; dismal

2. wearying; boring

3. archaic,  miserable

Other Word Forms

• drearily adverb
• dreariness noun
• drearisome adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dreary¹

before 900; Middle English drery, Old English drēorig gory, cruel, sad, equivalent to drēor gore + -ig -y ¹; akin to Old Norse dreyrigr bloody, German traurig sad

Word History and Origins

Origin of dreary¹

Old English drēorig gory; related to Old High German trūreg sad

Example Sentences

Stitch, Superman and a flock of creepy children drew audiences to movie theaters this summer, but it wasn’t enough to jolt box office revenue past even the dreary levels reached last year.

From Los Angeles Times

In our dreary times, any good news, no matter how fluffy and inconsequential, is a welcome reprieve.

From Salon

One of the greatest joys of living in New York City is coming out of a dreary winter hibernation to experience summer.

From Salon

“Eddington’s” design teams have taken care to fill Joe’s home with dreary clutter and outfit him in sagging jeans.

From Los Angeles Times

It begins with a dreary, urban past: shown against gray walls, works by Kim Abeles and Diana Kohne address historical inequities.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bleak 
• boring 
• colorless 
• damp 
• depressing 
• dingy 
• dismal 
• drab 
• dull 
• forlorn 
• humdrum 
• lonely 
• monotonous 
• sad 
• somber 
• tedious 
• uneventful 
• uninteresting 
• windy 
• wintry