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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
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
Judge will have to wait an extra day to make up for his lackluster 2026 debut, as the Yankees and Giants are off on Thursday.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Mahan’s lackluster standing puts pressure on him to come up with something new to appeal to voters, even if that means breaking with Democrats.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026
Skubal was frustrated with himself after a lackluster final spring start, one where his stuff lacked sharpness and his velocity was down.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackluster. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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lackluster
adjective
