different between monotonous vs dreary

English

Etymology

monotone +? -ous

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: m?-n?t??n-?s, IPA^(key): /m??n?t?n?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: m?-n?t??n-?s, IPA^(key): /m??n?t?n?s/
• Hyphenation: mo?not?o?nous

Adjective

monotonous (comparative more monotonous, superlative most monotonous)

1. Having an unvarying tone or pitch.
2. Tedious, repetitious or lacking in variety.

Related terms

• monotone
• monotony

Synonyms

• (having an unvarying tone or pitch): level, monotone, monotonic
• (lacking in variety): samely; see also Thesaurus:steady or Thesaurus:repetitive

Antonyms

• various

Translations

Anagrams

• ontonomous

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