different between dreary vs depressing

English

Etymology

From Middle English drery, from Old English dr?ori? (“sad”), from Proto-Germanic *dreuzagaz (“bloody”), from Proto-Indo-European *d?rews- (“to break, break off, crumble”), equivalent to drear +? -y. Cognate with Dutch treurig (“sad, gloomy”), Low German trurig (“sad”), German traurig (“sad, sorrowful, mournful”), Old Norse dreyrigr (“bloody”). Related to Old English dr?or (“blood, falling blood”), Old English drysmian (“to become gloomy”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d???i/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d????i/
• Rhymes: -???i, -??i

Adjective

dreary (comparative drearier or more dreary, superlative dreariest or most dreary)

1. Drab; dark, colorless, or cheerless.

   It had rained for three days straight, and the dreary weather dragged the townspeople's spirits down.

   Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary...
2. (obsolete) Grievous, dire; appalling.

Derived terms

• drear
• drearihead
• drearihood
• drearily
• dreariment
• dreariness
• drearisome

Translations

Anagrams

• Ardrey, Drayer, yarder, yarred

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??p??s??(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d??p??s??/

Adjective

depressing (comparative more depressing, superlative most depressing)

1. Causing depression or sadness.

   The television news was depressing, so rather than start crying I turned it off.

2. Causing a reduction in economic activity.

   The policy may have a depressing effect on some branches of industry.

Synonyms

• distressing
• saddening
• unpleasant

Translations

Verb

depressing

1. present participle of depress

Anagrams

• predesigns