1
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
it was a drear morning in January when I went to take my driving test
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a barren and drear existence in a remote village
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in moroseness
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drear
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 -
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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Especially sad is the case of Netta, one of Liat’s three children, who survived the attack.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Feb. 2025
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The range of weapons and passive abilities that drop from major enemies just encourage different playstyles, rather than shoving you into a sad corner full of regrets.—
Josh Broadwell,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Bill’s smarm has calcified into a kind of mad obsession; Hal is a starkly lonely and cowardly man.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
22 Feb. 2025
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New research suggests people tend to be lonelier in young adulthood and late life.—
Christina Caron,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Whether the Nationals pitching staff can hold up, healthy and effective in an incredibly difficult division, is another pressing question — with a depressing answer: probably not — but at least the bats will be worth watching.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
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Listen to this article Super Bowl parties are on the rise this year thanks to the need to decompress from a most depressing start to 2025, along with the rising cost of packages at bars and restaurants.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Our essayist challenges that notion and encourages us to embrace ennui as a time to rest and rekindle the spirit.—
Robert Klose,
The Christian Science Monitor,
26 Feb. 2025
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Though some of the scenes around Japanese culture are dialed up for comedic effect, the film’s theme of existential ennui will ring true for most.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
19 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
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In a bravura theatrical performance, Hawke makes the genius truly pathetic.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
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Blonsky imbues the lead character of Tracy Turnblad, who could be a pathetic figure in lesser hands, with enough vitality to make the whole film feel fresh, even close to two decades after its release.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Needless to say, these navies have spent decades and millions of dollars studying the effects of this isolation with an eye to keeping the crews at peak efficiency and mental health in an environment that combines tedium and great stress.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
21 Dec. 2024
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The educational tedium of Epcot was in a way the most agonizing: the six-minute Journey into Imagination, the fifteen-minute Spaceship Earth, the twenty-minute Living with the Land, and especially Ellen’s Energy Adventure, a forty-five-minute ordeal starring Ellen Degeneres and Bill Nye.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Drear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drear. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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