dim vs dreary

dim

adj
  • Not bright or colorful. 

  • Indistinct, hazy or unclear. 

  • Not smart or intelligent. 

  • Disapproving, unfavorable: rarely used outside the phrase take a dim view of. 

verb
  • To render dim, obscure, or dark; to make less bright or distinct 

  • To make something less bright. 

  • To deprive of distinct vision; to hinder from seeing clearly, either by dazzling or clouding the eyes; to darken the senses or understanding of. 

  • To become darker. 

dreary

adj
  • Drab; dark, colorless, or cheerless. 

How often have the words dim and dreary occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )