dull

adjective

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\ ˈdəl

Definition of dull

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : tedious, uninteresting dull lectures

2 : lacking sharpness of edge or point a dull knife

3a : 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

8a : slow in perception or sensibility : insensible somewhat dull of hearing dull to what went on about her— Willa Cather

b : lacking zest (see zest sense 2) or vivacity : listless a dull performance

9 : slow in action : sluggish dull markets

dull

verb

dulled; dulling; dulls

Definition of dull (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make dull dull a knife's edge

intransitive verb

: to become dull The blade dulled with use.

Other Words from dull Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about dull

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Synonyms & Antonyms for dull

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Verb

sharpen,
whet

Choose the Right Synonym for dull

Adjective

dull, blunt, obtuse mean not sharp, keen, or acute. dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency. a dull pain a dull mind blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception. a person of blunt sensibility obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination. too obtuse to take the hint

synonyms see in addition stupid

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 Web: Adjective That part is fun, but all of the material getting in and out of these little moments feels a bit dull. — Matthew Love, Vulture, "Saturday Night Live Recap: Maya Rudolph Channels Spring and Beyoncé’s Wet Head," 28 Mar. 2021 Picture quality has been excellent, with colors looking anything but dull. — Jason Cipriani, CNN Underscored, "The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro offer an excellent Android experience for less," 26 Mar. 2021 What’s harder than not writing the downright decent dull? — Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, "Marvel’s ‘Hellfire Gala’ Event: A Rococo Blend Of Superheroes And Haute Couture," 21 Mar. 2021 From the uncertainties provided by COVID-19, to the many possibilities for history to be made, Hollywood's biggest night should be anything but dull. — Lauren Huff, EW.com, "Everything to know about the 2021 Oscars," 18 Mar. 2021 So as downtown began to empty out around the late 1930s, Hotel Cecil's 700 rooms (yeas, 700!) did too, and the lobby's elaborate, opulent materials went from shiny to dull. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, "The True and Tragic Stories Beyond Hotel Cecil's Violent Fall From Grace," 10 Feb. 2021 But some people are turned off with the maintenance that is needed to keep your knives from turning dull. — Erika Hardison, USA TODAY, "25 most popular kitchen products you can buy at QVC," 13 Nov. 2020 Hayden reports record attendance this year, people who want to swap that dull, pounding fear for something immersive and cinematic — to lose themselves in a storyline for a moment. — Ted Anthony, Anchorage Daily News, "Halloween in 2020: Some fun with death and fear, anyone?," 27 Oct. 2020 In this way, dull skin is removed, revealing new, cleaner skin. — Bryony Gilbey, chicagotribune.com, "How to make a face mask for skin," 20 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb By then, however, Prosper’s play appeared to dull slightly. — Greg Riddle, Dallas News, "Soccer playoff roundup: Unbeaten Prosper passes area-round test; FM Marcus and Melissa advance," 29 Mar. 2021 When hearty winter vegetables are pureed into smooth, creamy soups, they’re often weighed down by too much butter or cream, which can dull the flavors. — Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Three creamy vegetable soups with a twist: no dairy necessary," 16 Mar. 2021 The formula intensely targets grey, brown, yellow, red, and violet chromatic disturbances that can dull skin's natural light and boosts the reflection of light from the skin, illuminating it. — Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, "Understanding Skincare That Will Make Your Feel Good Inside And Out.," 1 Mar. 2021 Depending on the materials used, these scrapers also tend to dull fairly quickly, especially on the end meant for heavy-duty ice work. — Popsci Commerce Team, Popular Science, "Best ice scraper: Hassle-free ways to get rid of snow and ice," 26 Feb. 2021 However, plastic cutting boards may dull your blade over time. — Angela Watson, chicagotribune.com, "How to cook salmon," 5 Mar. 2021 The result can be a buildup of rust on the blade that can dull the edge, weaken the grind profile, and lead to failure in the rivets that hold the handle to the blade. — Outdoor Life, "The Best Machete to Cut, Slash, and Bash through Anything," 19 Feb. 2021 Trying to cut a bone, snip herbs, or open a clamshell package with your sewing scissors will quickly dull the blades. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, "Amazon Shoppers Call These Best-Selling Shears a Must-Have for Any Kitchen," 7 Feb. 2021 And as many people now know from personal experience, COVID-19 can dull these senses. — Lisa Zwirn, BostonGlobe.com, "How taste and smell work (and why you really don’t want COVID-19 to take these senses away)," 26 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dull.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.