adj

dreich

Quiz me More like this

Dreich (adj) means lasting for a very long time in a tiring way, or, of speech or writing, going on for much longer than it needs to.

adj

Lasting for a very long time in a tiring way, or, of speech or writing, going on for much longer than it needs to.

Boring and not at all interesting.

Grey, gloomy, cheerless and miserable.

"On dreich days Shuggie would take Agnes's wedding album and hide at the foot of her bed poring over the photos of his father." — Douglas Stuart (2020)

"There are many other species of Scottish station, from geranium-hung coastal termini to dreich places in the Black Country, but a concluding note must be reached, and it shall concern Glasgow." — Cuthbert Hamilton Ellis, The Scottish Station (1941)

"Angela Randall was not afraid of the dark, but driving home at this dreich hour and at the end of a difficult shift, she found the ectoplasmic fog unnerving." — Susan Hill (2004)

Appropriately serious or solemn.

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like dreich.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “dreich” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Scots dreich (“hard to bear, dreary, tedious, wearisome; interminable, long-winded; dull, uninteresting; slow, tardy; doleful, gloomy; baffling, difficult; difficult to reach, inaccessible”), from Middle English dregh, dri, drie (“burdensome; depressing, dismal; large, tall; lasting, long; long-suffering, patient; tedious; of blows: hard, heavy; of the face: unchanging, unmoved; of a person: strong, valorous”) [and other forms], from Old English *drēog, drēoh (“earnest; fit; sober”), and then probably partly: * shortened from Old English ġedrēog (“calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable”, adjective), from ġe- (prefix forming adjectives of association or similarity) + Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (“enduring, lasting”) (from *dreuganą (“to serve, be a retainer”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to serve one’s tribe; loyal”)); and * influenced by Old Norse drjúgr (“sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong”), from Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (see above). The noun is probably partly derived: * from the adjective; and * borrowed from Scots dreich (“dreariness, gloom”) (rare), probably from Middle English dri, drie (“annoyance, trouble; grief; period of time”) [and

Antonyms

brief concise succinct terse laconic absorbing

Related words

short interesting passing brief exciting summary fascinating inform

Rhymes for dreich

Reich

See all rhymes for dreich →

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of dreich?

"dreich" (adj) means lasting for a very long time in a tiring way, or, of speech or writing, going on for much longer than it needs to.

What is the opposite of dreich?

Opposites of "dreich" include brief, concise, succinct, terse, laconic, absorbing.

What are the different meanings of dreich?

"dreich" has 3 main meanings: 1. Lasting for a very long time in a tiring way, or, of speech or writing, going on for much longer than it needs to; 2. Boring and not at all interesting; 3. Grey, gloomy, cheerless and miserable.

People also searched

short interesting passing brief exciting summary fascinating inform