1
: tedious, uninteresting
dull lectures
2
: lacking sharpness of edge or point
a dull knife
3
a
: not resonant or ringing
a dull booming sound
b
: lacking in force, intensity, or sharpness
a dull ache
4
: lacking brilliance or luster
a dull finish
5
: cloudy
dull weather
6
of a color
: low in saturation (see saturation sense 4a) and low in lightness
a dull green
7
: mentally slow : stupid
8
a
: slow in perception or sensibility : insensible
somewhat dull of hearing
dull to what went on about her—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather
b
: lacking zest (see zest sense 2) or vivacity : listless
a dull performance
9
: slow in action : sluggish
dull markets
dulled; dulling; dulls
: to make dull
dull a knife's edge
: to become dull
The blade dulled with use.
Synonyms
Examples of dull in a Sentence
Adjective
the dull roar of the crowd
the dull knife just bounced off the skin of the tomato without cutting it
Verb
Fog dulled the morning sunlight.
Special earplugs dulled the sound of the chain saw.
His hair dulled as he aged.
The dog's eyes dulled as he got sick.
She takes medicine to dull the pain.
Fear dulled his need for adventure.
The knife was dulled from use.
The blade should be replaced as soon as it dulls.
Recent Examples on the WebHilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
One inch of the coral’s light brown tips was bumpy with living polyps, while the rest was dull white, resembling a dead tree branch.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Sugar’s obsession stands in stark contrast with the dull, bland mystery presented to the audience.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Others see a case of attractive appearances outweighing dull reality.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Behind her, the Polo Club gleamed the dull gleam of brass and mahogany, feather dusters and floor wax.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
As a Red Sox fan things have been pretty dull and dreary.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
Its formula is also enriched with three potent acids — glycolic, lactic, and salicylic — to target dull skin and balance oil production for a more harmonious complexion.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Several people on Thursday showed that the worn and dull instrument had no sharp edge.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties are dulling the region’s economic dynamism and governments need to do more to address long-term problems such as weak social safety nets and underinvestment in education, the report says.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
But Kish’s addition to this cooking competition turned culinary kingmaker does a lot to dull any post-Padma shock.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
While some fans accuse him of adding too much of his ’80s pop style or dulling their favorite musicians’ best qualities, the artists themselves keep coming back — none more than Swift, whom he’s worked with since her 2014 album, 1989.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024
But on a recent night, the city grime hadn’t dulled the burst of fuchsia bougainvillea outside Lola Taverna, a Greek restaurant in SoHo.
—Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
However, the film’s various entry points into these flashbacks follow no consistent structure or logic, which dulls their emotional impact.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Photos show the spark brittle star’s orange coloring while alive and dulled yellow tones after being preserved.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
The passage of time further dulls recollections of who did what to whom.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Pain medication For temporary soothing, over-the-counter analgesic meds like acetaminophen can dull signals that cause widespread discomfort.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
One inch of the coral’s light brown tips was bumpy with living polyps, while the rest was dull white, resembling a dead tree branch.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Sugar’s obsession stands in stark contrast with the dull, bland mystery presented to the audience.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Others see a case of attractive appearances outweighing dull reality.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Behind her, the Polo Club gleamed the dull gleam of brass and mahogany, feather dusters and floor wax.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
As a Red Sox fan things have been pretty dull and dreary.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
Its formula is also enriched with three potent acids — glycolic, lactic, and salicylic — to target dull skin and balance oil production for a more harmonious complexion.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Several people on Thursday showed that the worn and dull instrument had no sharp edge.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
The blades on nose hair trimmers, like in razors, can dull over time.
—Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Debt, trade barriers and policy uncertainties are dulling the region’s economic dynamism and governments need to do more to address long-term problems such as weak social safety nets and underinvestment in education, the report says.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
But Kish’s addition to this cooking competition turned culinary kingmaker does a lot to dull any post-Padma shock.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
While some fans accuse him of adding too much of his ’80s pop style or dulling their favorite musicians’ best qualities, the artists themselves keep coming back — none more than Swift, whom he’s worked with since her 2014 album, 1989.
—Justin Curto, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024
But on a recent night, the city grime hadn’t dulled the burst of fuchsia bougainvillea outside Lola Taverna, a Greek restaurant in SoHo.
—Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
However, the film’s various entry points into these flashbacks follow no consistent structure or logic, which dulls their emotional impact.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Photos show the spark brittle star’s orange coloring while alive and dulled yellow tones after being preserved.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
The passage of time further dulls recollections of who did what to whom.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dull
Cite this Entry
“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dull. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dull
1 of 2 adjective1
: mentally slow : stupid
2
: listless
3
: slow in action : sluggish
4
: lacking sharpness of edge or point
5
: lacking brilliance or luster
6
: not ringing, sharp, or intense
a dull roar
7
8
: tedious, uninteresting
a dull lecture
9
: slightly grayish
a dull blue
dull
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become dull
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