dreary
gb/dɹˈɪɹi/ us/dɹˈɪɹi/
B1
English
~ 4700
lehangoló, sivár, unalmas
B1
1
Usage pattern:
a dreary [day/place/task]
It was another cold, dreary morning in November.
Újabb hideg, lehangoló novemberi reggel volt.
The movie was so dreary that I almost fell asleep.
A film annyira unalmas volt, hogy majdnem elaludtam.
She dreaded going back to her dreary office job.
The landscape looked dreary under the gray sky.
His voice was flat and dreary during the lecture.
Learner examples
Today is a cold and dreary day.
Ma hideg és lehangoló nap van.
The book is long and dreary.
A könyv hosszú és unalmas.
He works in a small, dreary office.
We walked through a dreary street.
The room feels dreary without sunlight.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dreary' with 'scary'; 'dreary' means boring or depressing, not frightening.
Meaning
Dull, sad, and uninteresting
Collocations
dreary weather
|dreary day
|dreary job
|dreary town
|dreary routine
Synonyms
dull (Focuses more on lack of excitement, not necessarily sadness.)
|
gloomy (Emphasizes darkness or sadness, often with a visual element.)
Antonyms
cheerful (Suggests a bright, happy, and lively mood.)
|
exciting (Implies something that creates strong interest and enjoyment.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Making people feel sad or bored because it is not interesting.
Causing a feeling of unhappiness or lack of interest because of being dull or depressing.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dreary
IPA
GB/dɹˈɪɹi/
US/dɹˈɪɹi/
Syllables & stress
dreary (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dreary)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: dreary
- Comparative: drearier
- Superlative: dreariest
Word family
Forms
drearier
adjective
dreariest
adjective
Core family
drearily
adverb
dreariness
noun
Expressions
dreary day
1/dɹˈɪɹi dˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
A dull, depressing day
A day that feels boring or sad because nothing nice happens or the weather is bad.
Examples
- It was a dreary day, so we decided to watch movies at home.
- Her birthday turned into a dreary day after it started raining.
dreary weather
1/dɹˈɪɹi wˈɛðɚ/
fixed phrase
Dull, depressing weather conditions
Weather that is gray, cold, rainy, or makes you feel sad.
Examples
- We stayed inside all day because of the dreary weather.
- The dreary weather made everyone feel tired and quiet.