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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
David Ubben, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
His trial was apparently beset with junk evidence and a lackluster defense, with faulty ballistics evidence going unchallenged by his attorney.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Some of his concerts were canceled or postponed due to health reasons, and some fans criticized the singer for putting on lackluster performances.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 5 Jan. 2026
But a lackluster performance during that fall's vice presidential debate did little to help the party avoid stinging losses in November 2024.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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lackluster
adjective
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