51Թ

Advertisement

View synonyms for

dull

[ duhl ]

adjective

duller, dullest.
  1. not sharp; blunt:

    a dull knife.

    Antonyms: ,

  2. causing boredom; tedious; uninteresting:

    a dull sermon.

    Synonyms: , , ,

    Antonyms:

  3. not lively or spirited; listless.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  4. not bright, intense, or clear; dim:

    a dull day; a dull sound.

  5. having very little depth of color; lacking in richness or intensity of color.
  6. slow in motion or action; not brisk; sluggish:

    a dull day in the stock market.

  7. mentally slow; lacking brightness of mind; somewhat stupid; obtuse.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms:

  8. lacking keenness of perception in the senses or feelings; insensible; unfeeling.
  9. not intense or acute:

    a dull pain.



verb (used with or without object)

  1. to make or become dull.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

dull

/ ʌ /

adjective

  1. slow to think or understand; stupid
  2. lacking in interest
  3. lacking in perception or the ability to respond; insensitive
  4. lacking sharpness; blunt
  5. not acute, intense, or piercing
  6. (of weather) not bright or clear; cloudy
  7. not active, busy, or brisk
  8. lacking in spirit or animation; listless
  9. (of colour) lacking brilliance or brightness; sombre
  10. not loud or clear; muffled
  11. med (of sound elicited by percussion, esp of the chest) not resonant
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make or become dull
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈܱ, adverb
  • ˈܱ, adjective
  • ˈܱԱ, noun
Discover More

Other 51Թ Forms

  • ܱn ܱn noun
  • ܱl adverb
  • ܲ·ܱ adjective
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of dull1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English; akin to Old English dol “foolish, stupid”; cognate with German toll
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of dull1

Old English dol; related to Old Norse dul conceit, Old High German tol foolish, Greek tholeros confused
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with dull , also see never a dull moment .
Discover More

Synonym Study

Dull, blunt refer to the edge or point of an instrument, tool, or the like. Dull implies a lack or a loss of keenness or sharpness: a dull razor or saw. Blunt may mean the same or may refer to an edge or point not intended to be keen or sharp: a blunt or stub pen; a blunt foil. Dull, blunt, slow, stupid are applied to mental qualities. Dull implies obtuseness, lack of imagination: a dull child. Blunt implies loss of original keenness of intelligence through disease, sad experience, or the like: His critical faculties were blunt. Slow applies to a sluggish intellect: a slow mind. Stupid implies slowness of mental processes, but also lack of intelligence, wisdom, prudence, etc.: a stupid person.
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"His grin, the way he'd sneak around causing chaos and then act like nothing happened, made life with him unpredictable but never dull," they said.

From

Guiraudie makes that fantasy a reality in “Misericordia,” making queerness into something so routine it’s almost dull — but without denying that coming home is inherently chaotic.

From

The Texas native, in town for some meetings, chuckled at the dull weather as he reflected on his days with Selena spent in Southern California.

From

For long periods this was a deadly dull England performance.

From

The jargon used in scientific reports and global climate conferences also creates a sense of detachment that dulls the living things it refers to.

From

Advertisement

Related 51Թs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement