dreary

adjective

drea·​ry ˈdrir-ē How to pronounce dreary (audio)
drearier; dreariest
Synonyms of dreary
1
: feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement
… cheer a dreary mind …George Berkeley
2
: having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest : gloomy, dismal
a cold, dreary morning
drearily adverb
dreariness 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

Examples of dreary in a Sentence

It was a gray, dreary morning. The family struggled through dreary economic times.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the new Prime Video series, Lexi Minetree plays the iconic character, who must adapt to a new high school as her family swaps Bel-Air for dreary Seattle. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 24 June 2026 In recent days, young Knicks fans have been made to digest from their dreary Boomer elders heavy doses of old-timey hoops lore, but mainly about the 1970 title series, featuring Willis Reed’s limping, yet noble appearance in Game Seven, his injured leg shot up with painkillers. David Remnick, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 Fifteen years later, Adam is working a dreary HR job when a chance encounter sends him back home to reclaim the throne. The Week Us, TheWeek, 8 June 2026 Amid the dreary wasteland of modern technology, Black nerdom might save us yet. Tatiana Lee Rodriguez, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dreary

Word History

Etymology

Middle English drery, from Old English drēorig sad, bloody, from drēor gore; akin to Old High German trūrēn to be sad, Goth driusan to fall

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dreary was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dreary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreary. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

dreary

adjective
drea·​ry ˈdri(ə)r-ē How to pronounce dreary (audio)
drearier
ˈdrir-ē-ər
; dreariest
: having nothing that provides cheer, comfort, or interest
drearily adverb
dreariness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dreary

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster