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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
another dreary social event to suffer through
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dreary
After a nine-day break, the Sharks, again in last place in the NHL’s overall standings, return to practice Tuesday afternoon, looking for ways to improve as another dreary season starts to wind down.
—
Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
After summer-like warm temperatures last Saturday, North Texas will take a dreary and cold turn this week.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2025
The weather was cold and dreary, but the mood in Miami for the second iteration of Cosmoprof North America Miami, held Jan. 21-23, was upbeat.
—Faye Brookman, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
That cold and dreary Friday, Jackson had been attending a funeral in Washington, D.C. for South Carolina Representative Warren Davis.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreary
Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2025
After summer-like warm temperatures last Saturday, North Texas will take a dreary and cold turn this week.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2025
The weather was cold and dreary, but the mood in Miami for the second iteration of Cosmoprof North America Miami, held Jan. 21-23, was upbeat.
—Faye Brookman, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
That cold and dreary Friday, Jackson had been attending a funeral in Washington, D.C. for South Carolina Representative Warren Davis.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreary
Adjective
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The picture looks bleak in the U.S. and in France the company is entering receivership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
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The tiny graves at one end of the orphanage compound are a bleak reminder of what a future without USAID might look like for the children.—
Nicholas Komu,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That depressing fact gets reiterated many times, without much variation or additional insight, during Running Point’s 10-episode season.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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In this new techno-dating reality, the number of fights sparked by clothes being left on the floor would dramatically decrease, instead being replaced by not-at-all depressing scenes of men standing alone in their apartments talking to a speaker.—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The whole thing also looks pretty—budget and midrange phones tend to be super boring, but the Pixel 8A has a smart design with a matte rear texture.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
28 Feb. 2025
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Buck is a loquacious, glad-handing oaf who has a boring way with a witty story, and is marked for death.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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An open-wide view is way more important than a dark sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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The fire broke out when the bus was on the corner of Cambridge and Northampton roads in the Cleveland area, filling the suburban street with a dark cloud of smoke.—
Kyla Guilfoil,
NBC News,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Police sad officers began providing aid to Mitchell, but medics later pronounced him dead at the scene.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacramento Bee,
4 Mar. 2025
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Oklahoma represents the sad conclusion of the Trail of Tears, and Tulsa serves as the meeting point for tribal nations—the Osage, Muscogee, and Cherokee.—
Nicholas Lalla,
WIRED,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This Atlético Madrid side is going from strength to strength and is showing little sign of tiring even as the pressure heats up.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
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The first few years of being a parent can be among the most tiring as moms and dads try and often fail to get infants into a regular routine of unbroken sleep at night.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Another remembers her lonely childhood with a single mother and resolved it with a partner from a large family and three children.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
5 Mar. 2025
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This distinction is important: your parent might live alone without feeling isolated, or conversely, feel lonely despite being surrounded by people.—
Carolyn Rosenblatt,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is pathetic, as Russia would do everything in their power to interfere in that election.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
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This character is just like me – funny and sad, tragic, pathetic and brave, emotionally available but all over the place.—
Stuart Miller,
Orange County Register,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dreary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreary. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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