How to Use dreary in a Sentence

dreary

adjective
  • It was a gray, dreary morning.
  • The family struggled through dreary economic times.
  • The weather is dark and dreary, thick clouds with a misty rain.
    Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 2019
  • And who wants to be trapped in a space that feels dreary and boring?
    Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2023
  • One tester said her bright green pair helped cheer her up on a dreary winter day.
    Lisa Jhung, Outside Online, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Any of these bold hues will wake up a dreary space with the stroke of a paintbrush.
    Lauren Smith, House Beautiful, 19 Jan. 2018
  • That was so dreary because then, the shelters were cleaned out of dogs.
    Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 21 May 2021
  • Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary.
    Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2021
  • White paint everywhere turned the room from dark and dreary to bright and fresh.
    Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Nov. 2021
  • Today will be cold and dreary with off and on rain throughout the day and evening.
    Dallas News, 22 Jan. 2020
  • One block looks dreary and abandoned, the next loved and restored.
    Dan Rodricks, baltimoresun.com, 4 May 2018
  • Even if the weather feels dark and dreary, your hair color doesn't have to be.
    Taylyn Washington-Harmon, Health.com, 16 Sep. 2020
  • That could have meant a dark and dreary descent to reach the lower levels.
    Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2022
  • Thank you, Jim, for bringing a lot more cheer to the dreary picture.
    Ashley Hoffman, Time, 14 May 2018
  • The cold, wet weather made life on the streets more dreary and dangerous.
    Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2021
  • The hot pink used here pops off the gray cabinetry and brings cheer to dreary winter days.
    Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Even in the dreary winter months, the splash of color will add a bit of cheer to your travels.
    Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2025
  • But its German- and Czech-style beers would sparkle even in a dreary moonscape.
    Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Don’t let dreary weather dull your style – these Rain Boots are here to save the day.
    Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Gone is the dreary Juicy from last week’s lip sync versus Nini.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Alas, Herod’s world is numbingly dreary, at odds with the nasty glitter of the score.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • Somehow, though, these exploits make for dreary reading.
    Matt Weinstock, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
  • That is, in comparison to the dreary years of the rebuild, a good problem to have.
    Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2024
  • After eight months of looking at a dreary gray safety cover, our backyard pool opened last week.
    Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • Rosas, seen above, is the truest pink of the pinks and brings a playful shock of brightness to combat this dreary fall weather.
    Devon Abelman, Allure, 17 Oct. 2022
  • Instead of a dreary fruit basket, our welcome treat was a whole fluffy sponge cake and a bowl of strawberries.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The beer choice is apt, since the event occurs during the cold and dreary month of February.
    Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2023
  • Normal people just find the whole brand overhaul ugly and dreary and cheap-looking.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Treekul almost conquered the dreary day and the field with a 3-over 75, but one player topped it.
    William S. Paxton, courant.com, 6 June 2017
  • With a little care, flowering bulbs and other plants can liven up these dreary winter days.
    Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dreary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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