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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
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Dec. 2025
One winter can see over 100 inches of snow in Flagstaff, while others see only a few lackluster storms.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The financial assistance could also help address Beijing’s larger problem of lackluster consumption, which has contributed to its economic slowdown.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
How significant does that lackluster showing against the Chargers appear now?
—Sam McDowell 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Dec. 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 22 Dec. 2025.
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lackluster
adjective
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