Wordwyrt

dreariness

/ˈdɹiɹinəs/DREE-ree-nuhs
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈdɹiɹinəs/DREE-ree-nuhs

Meaningbeing dreary

Common meaning: dullness and gloom

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Journey through time

  1. Old Englishdreorig‘gore, blood’source
  2. Middle Englishdreorisource
  3. Englishdreary‘dull and gloomy’
  4. Englishformed in English from drearydreariness‘dullness and gloom’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from dreary + -ness.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), DREARY, p.179 · scan

Source words

  • dreorig Old English · source word “gory, sad”

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