DREAR Synonyms: 227 Similar and Opposite Words

drear 1 of 2

adjective

ˈdrir

Definition of drear

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

as in sad

causing unhappiness a barren and drear existence in a remote village

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drear

2 of 2

noun

as in moroseness

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of drear

Adjective

As the world begins to emerge from the drear of winter, kids especially are looking to get out of the house. — Lynne Sullivan, The Providence Journal, 14 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for drear

Adjective

The past summer in Russia has also been shaping up as a bleak season for Putin’s Russia.

— Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Tyler Biadasz suffered a serious injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in practice this week, and the prognosis sounds bleak.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of bleak

Adjective

You guys are so stunning 😍😍 So sad to not be there but cannot wait to celebrate the beautiful newlyweds!

— Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
And then there’s the sad, as when Earle cries about her breakup or reveals that her mother was diagnosed with cancer while Alix was competing on Dancing With the Stars.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of sad

Noun

And hey, if the superstar was feeling a little low, what better pick-me-up than karaoke with Chrissie Hynde or a heart-to-heart in the ladies’ with ennui expert Lena Dunham?

— Ben Jureidini, Vanity Fair, 15 Aug. 2026
Ellis was the enfant terrible of the ’80s and ’90s literary scene, earning a following with novels about disaffected teens and 20-somethings mixed up in drugs, ennui, and gang rapes.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of ennui

Noun

The experience is…less fun, although bad film aficionados know that some level of tedium is inherent to almost all of the most canonical worst movies ever.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Such individual scenes aside, though, the film largely depends on a familiar trajectory, which can curdle into tedium as things proceed.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of tedium

Adjective

The design featured an orange-and-black clown outfit, black gloves and a dark face covering with an exaggerated smiling mouth.

— Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
Funky black garlic hides within that mushroom melange, and the pie arrives dotted with a dramatic, dark tamarind sauce.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

dreamy

drear

drearily

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Drear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drear. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of drear

adjective

noun

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