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 One of the minds behind The Real World admits that, during a particularly dull two-week stretch in season one, producers planted a Bruce Weber photo book in the living room. — Jensen Davis, The New Republic, "Andy Cohen’s Reality Television Fantasy," 7 May 2021 Warmer tones also read brighter and shiner, while cool tones can fall flat and look dull. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, "Is Vintage Blond the New Platinum?," 4 May 2021 The shallow concept lends predictability to the robots’ scheme to launch the human race into space in the hopes of creating a utopian bot civilization and makes PAL a terribly dull villain. — Robert Daniels, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Hit the road with ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines,’ an agreeable Netflix family distraction," 30 Apr. 2021 One of my initial skin care concerns was dull skin, but this oil keeps that at bay by using the antioxidant and omega properties in superberries like acai, maqui, prickly pear and goji. — Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC News, "Why one shopping writer uses Youth to the People for all her skin care needs," 14 Apr. 2021 Violet GreyThis highly concentrated and fast-acting serum combines the powerful mix of vitamin C to brighten skin and AHAs, to gently resurface dull skin for more radiant results. — Anjana Rajbhandary, chicagotribune.com, "Vitamin C serum benefits," 3 Apr. 2021 Unfortunately, lack of sleep has a way of manifesting itself physically, and dull skin and dark circles can be some of the telltale signs of restlessness. — Sarah Boyd, Forbes, "6 Skincare Products For Those Sleepless Nights," 25 Feb. 2021 Another wrote that there was never a dull moment whenever Conrad was working. — Mike Masterson, Arkansas Online, "MASTERSON ONLINE: Godspeed, young Conrad," 17 Apr. 2021 While Capparella's choice might be a bit boring, there'd never be a dull moment in contributor Jonathon Ramsey's 90K-mile Bentley Continental GT. — Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, "$50,000 Used Cars We'd Keep for Five Years: Window Shop with Car and Driver," 9 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Then lightly sand with 120- or 180-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge (just enough to dull the surface). — Washington Post, "Synthetic kitchen cabinet doors can bubble or fade. Here’s what you can do.," 3 May 2021 But that did nothing to dull Haenicke’s determination. — Matt Le Cren, chicagotribune.com, "‘He just kept going’: Benet’s Hans Haenicke is the Naperville Sun Boys Soccer Player of the Year," 29 Apr. 2021 But exposure to the roaring U.K. and the EMs may help dull the pain. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "These investments will outperform the S&P 500 over the next decade, a top research firm predicts," 27 Apr. 2021 When the Jazz are beating teams by a league-leading average margin of victory, there are times when that can dull their edges a bit. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Gordon Monson: Nobody believes in the Jazz, so their mission is to shock the world and prove it wrong," 30 Mar. 2021 The highest-risk people — 60-plus — have already been vaccinated, so that could dull any imminent COVID-19 surge. — Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, "Gov. Holcomb adjustment to Indiana mask advisory leaves health professionals, others questioning if announcement is premature," 24 Mar. 2021 Of course, there are some retailers whose only goal is to add sales volume, and a mission with that directive can only serve to dull politically acerbic public opinion. — Rick Helfenbein, Forbes, "When China Rings The Bell In Xinjiang - Retail Crumbles," 12 Apr. 2021 Repeat viewings don’t dull the suspense and only inspire awe at how Hitchcock handles the single set and the perspective of Stewart’s character. — New York Times, "5 Things to Do This Weekend," 8 Apr. 2021 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

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.