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Lackluster may describe things that are dull, but the word itself is no yawn. In its earliest uses in the early 17th century, lackluster (also spelled lacklustre) usually described eyes that were dull or lacking in brightness, as in “a lackluster stare.” Later, it came to describe other things whose sheen had been removed; Charles Dickens, in his 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, writes of the faded image of the dragon on the sign outside a village alehouse: “many a wintry storm of rain, snow, sleet, and hail, had changed his colour from a gaudy blue to a faint lack-lustre shade of grey.” These days lackluster is broadly used to describe anything blah, from a spiritless sensation to a humdrum hump day.
Examples of lackluster in a Sentence
Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Transparency around academic performance is even more important now, as Fort Worth ISD faces a state takeover due in large part to years of lackluster student progress, Dorsey-Hollins said.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
When companies fail to grow, leaders are quick to point to lackluster performers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
At 2-8 and with a rookie signal caller in Tyler Shough at the helm, the Saints have been rather lackluster in 2025, having only beat the New York Giants and, most recently, Carolina Panthers.
—Miami Herald, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackluster. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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lackluster
adjective
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