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dreariness

dreariness

1 6.2
A dull, gloomy feeling that makes things seem not interesting
  • noun
  • /ˈdririness/
translation icon : tristeza
  • Yet, on the whole, the students were put off by the crushing dreariness of the place.

Examples

  • This scenario seems almost unimaginable when compared with the dreariness, chaos, and ugliness of many middle school hallways and classrooms.

    Academic text (2001)
  • George remembers the river of his childhood and the dreariness and industrial nature of its shore.

    Blog text (2)
  • I am very sorry, and not just for the dreariness of life here.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • How could one overcome such dreariness?

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I feel like I'm suffocating under all this dreariness.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I'd be in the fields in the midst of a bright day, and a dreariness would mysteriously descend.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It would be pleasant, she thought as she prepared her palette, to be able to blame my picture's dreariness, its lifelessness, on the Silurian vista.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • One of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires.

    Blog text (31)
  • Many people struggle with feelings of dreariness during the long winter months.

  • The dreariness of the rainy day made everyone want to stay indoors.

Synonyms

gloom
vsdreariness
46 3.2

A feeling of sadness and low spirits

is broader, highlighting dull lack of interest rather than only sadness
bleakness
vsdreariness
3 6.3

A cold, empty feeling that makes a place or situation seem sad

is milder and more about boring lack of interest than harsh emptiness
boringness
vsdreariness
2 3.8

A state that makes you lose interest

is more about a sad, gloomy atmosphere than simple boredom
deadness
vsdreariness
1 5.3

A state of no life or energy that makes a person feel empty

is more connected to a sad, gloomy atmosphere than mere lifelessness
dullness
vsdreariness
1 3.7

Something that is not interesting or exciting

is gloomier and more emotionally sad rather than only unengaging
vapidity
vsdreariness
1 9.3

A lack of energy and interest in speech or writing

adds a sad, gloomy feeling beyond mere lack of liveliness
drabness
vsdreariness
1 5.1

A plain, dull appearance with no bright color or style

relates more to mood and sadness than to visual plainness
lifelessness
vsdreariness
1 5.4

A lack of life, energy, or movement

adds emotional gloom and lack of interest beyond mere no energy
insipidity
vsdreariness
1 9.6

Lack of flavor or interest that makes something dull

carries more of a gloomy, sad mood than simple blandness
gloominess
vsdreariness
1 3.4

A feeling of sadness and little hope felt by people or in a place

is less purely sad and more about lacking interest or excitement
insipidness
vsdreariness
8.2

Being dull and without strong taste or interest

leans more toward sadness and gloom than merely being bland
vapidness
vsdreariness
8.4

A feeling that something is dull and boring

is gloomier and more emotionally heavy than flatness alone
stodginess
vsdreariness
  • UK
8.4

A serious, old-fashioned style that feels boring

focuses more on sadness and dull mood than formal heaviness
desolateness
vsdreariness
7.5

A feeling of being very lonely and empty after loss

is more general lack of interest rather than focused loneliness or emptiness

Antonyms

1.0

A feeling of wanting to know more about something

434 1.0

A strong feeling of happiness and eagerness, or something that causes it

How Dreary

desolation
3 7.6
gloom
46 3.2
bleakness
3 6.3
dreariness
1 6.2
dullness
1 3.4

Surface Forms

dreariness singular
drearinesses plural

Morphology

dreariness = dreary (transparent) = dreary + ness

Formed by the productive noun-forming suffix '-ness' from the adjective 'dreary', so the meaning is directly the state or quality of being dreary.

Etymology

Dreariness comes from dreary + -ness. Dreary came from an old English word meaning 'sad' or 'gloomy', so dreariness is the 'state' of being dull, gloomy, or without interest.