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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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
-
Even the relatively staid premiere stole a handful of grim chuckles thanks to its guest star’s exceedingly blasé delivery of impossibly bleak news.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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Yet if Mickey’s life is suffocatingly bleak, Mickey 17 is anything but.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 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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But doctors have begun to suspect that this year's flu season—the most severe in over 15 years—has taken a yet darker turn for children.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
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Master of maturation Andrea Wilson adds her own tasting notes, describing baking spice, dark fruit, toffee, fragrant citrus, and floral notes on the palate, followed by a round, complex finish.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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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
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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