dreigh

Adjective

dreich (comparative dreicher, superlative dreichest)

1. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Extending for a long distance or time, especially when tedious or wearisome; long-drawn-out, protracted; also, of speech or writing: unnecessarily verbose; long-winded.
   • So Alec showed her the letter, 'twas long and dreich and went on and on; […]1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon [pseudonym; James Leslie Mitchell], “Epilude: The Unfurrowed Field”, in Ian Campbell, editor, Sunset Song: A Novel (A Scots Quair; 1), Edinburgh: Polygon, Birlinn...

   Synonyms:

   circumlocutory, diffuse, periphrastic, palaverous, pleonastic, prolix, rigmarole, sesquipedalian, verbose, wordy

   Antonyms:

   brief, concise, crisp, laconic, lapidary, short-winded, succinct, tight, to the point, taut

2. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Not enjoyable or interesting; boring, dull.
   • VVhen thou an' I vvere young an' ſkiegh, / An' ſtable-meals at Fairs vvere driegh, / Hovv thou vvad prance, an' ſnore, an' ſkriegh, / An' tak the road!1786, Robert Burns, “The Auld Farmer’s New-year Morning Salutation to His Auld Mare, Maggie, on Giving Her the Accustomed Ripp of Corn to Hansel in the New-year”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish...

   Synonyms:

   banal, basic, mindless, beat, blah, commonplace, bland, boring, cold, colourless

   Antonyms:

   absorbing, alacrifying, awesome, banging, bracing, hot, compelling, distracting, dramatic, edge-of-the-seat

3. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Bleak, cheerless, dismal, dreary, miserable.
   • But he's lying i' such dree poverty,—and niver a friend to go near him,—niver a person to speak a kind word t' him.1863, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, “Wedding Raiment”, in Sylvia’s Lovers. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 278

   Synonyms:

   cheerless, comfortless, bleak, dark, morose, depressing, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal

4. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) suitably serious or solemn
5. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) of a person: patient, stoic, tolerant, resolute
6. (Midlands, North, Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland) Slow, sluggish; specifically, of a person: tending to delay or procrastinate (especially when paying for something).
   • What think ye o' yon bonny hill yonder, lifting its brow to the moon? […] [M]aybe we will win there the night yet, God sain us, though our minny [a horse] here's rather driegh in the upgang.1818 July 25, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Tales of My Landlord, Second Series, […] (The Heart of Mid-Lothian), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and...

   Synonyms:

   dilatory, tardy, crawling, slack, slow-moving, languid, languorous, draggy, creeping, gastropodous

   Antonyms:

   cursory, express, fast, expeditious, feverish, fleet, fleeting, greased lightning, hasty, hectic

See all 14 meanings of dreich