lull

1 of 2

verb

ˈləl 

lulled; lulling; lulls

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sleep or rest : soothe

He was lulled to sleep by her soothing voice.

2

: to cause to relax vigilance

were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2

noun

1

: a temporary pause or decline in activity

the early-morning lull in urban noise

: such as

a

: a temporary drop in business activity

b

: a temporary calm before or during a storm

2

archaic : something that lulls

especially : lullaby

Synonyms of lull

Verb

• calm
• soothe
• compose
• quiet
• appease

Noun

• pause
• break
• breath
• interruption

Examples of lull in a Sentence

Verb

The music lulled him to sleep.

the absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security

Noun

we took the opportunity of a lull in the conversation to announce that we were engaged to be married

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Despite moments that can lull in pockets, the play is an exciting exploration of theater’s ability to serve an organic purpose, with the story itself centered as the show’s shining star. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026

Last year, many were convinced American politics would be destabilized by videos manipulated by artificial intelligence, or lulled into a post-truth stupor by AI slop. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026

Noun

After a brief lull in precipitation this afternoon, snow levels drop to all areas tonight into Tuesday, and remain low through Thursday. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Feb. 2026

There were some lulls in the second half of the season, but the Seahawks rounded into form toward the end of the regular season. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English; probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing lull

• the calm/lull before the storm

Rhymes for lull

• cull
• dull
• gul
• gull
• ndebele
• null
• scull
• skull
• stull
• trull
• tulle
• seagull

Kids Definition

lull

1 of 2 verb

ˈləl 

1

: to cause to sleep or rest

2

: to cause to relax vigilance

were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2 noun

1

: a temporary calm before or during a storm

2

: a temporary drop in activity