Definitions

dreary

[dreer-ee] / ˈdrɪər i /

ADJECTIVE

gloomy, lifeless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

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

WEAK

black blah cheerless comfortless depressive dispiriting doleful downcast funereal glum joyless lonesome melancholy mournful oppressive pedestrian raw routine sorrowful wearisome

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright cheerful colorful encouraging eventful exciting glad happy hopeful interesting joyful light lively nice pleasant

WEAK

clear

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is 9 p.m. on a dreary night in Shadow Hills, just miles away from the lush foothills of the Verdugo Mountains.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Everything in “Mother Mary” feels like it exists in a dream within a dream: the tertiary characters who fade in and out of the narrative, the catchy yet indistinct pop songs, the dreary midnight-blue location.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

There’s nothing quite as dreary as a baseball team that takes itself out of contention before kids get out of school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Just a month after he dropped “Lonely,” Bieber returned to his teen-idol woes — far less movingly, alas — in this dreary duet with Shawn Mendes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

He smiled, and felt then that some part of the dreary afternoon of the dreary Sunday had been saved.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Vocabulary lists containing dreary

100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"

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This Week in Words: September 4 - 8, 2017

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Charlotte's Web

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