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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drear
Adjective
-
At the same time, others who attended this year’s California Democratic Party Convention dismissed any notion that the future of the Democratic Party is bleak.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
31 May 2025 -
The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who’s said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Stewart is still thanked by gay fans by creating such a rare, highly visible (albeit sad) representation.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Set in a town ruled by absurd karate law, the film watches as a lonely teen forms an unlikely bond with the ghost of his late father’s favorite action hero.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
27 May 2025
-
If there was no Stitch, Lilo would have remained a lonely girl, and Nani silently suffering from her massive responsibilities.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
All that matters is whether Dance Mom, a character designed in a lab to be a depressing punchline, pulls in just enough of the always-online demo to boost their numbers among younger viewers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
-
Music was a way to showcase something that wasn’t depressing.—
Ramin Setoodeh,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
The film, despite grossing just under $5 million in the U.S. against a $9 million budget, later became a cult classic synonymous with the melancholic realization that teenage longing and ennui can extend into adulthood.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
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Everyone is thinking about his or her middle-aged ennui and the routines — ruts?—
Margaret Lyons,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Opening April 8, 2026 A blind date spirals spectacularly off the rails in Becky Shaw, the razor-sharp dark comedy from two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Gina Gionfriddo.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
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He was last seen wearing a light shirt and dark shorts.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who tells you different is a liar (and pathetic, and alone in life).—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
The politicized fantasy and horror films by Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are merely pathetic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Noun
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But at that difficulty, humans had only been able to force their way through the slaughter level in multi-segment runs, exploiting save states to preserve their best performances and break up the nerve-wracking tedium.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 Apr. 2025
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The tedium of day-to-day, real-life differences started to take some of the passion out of their relationship, with Elliot asking Kat to tidy up her clothes and showing more concern for the drenched wood floors than Kat’s big time-travel news.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
27 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Drear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drear. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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