How to Use dull in a Sentence

dull

1 of 2 adjective

• For long daytime hours, the sky seemed draped in the dull gray garb of winter.
  — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
• The dull, leaden blue of his lips was creeping to his cheeks.
  — Cathleen Calkins, Longreads, 23 Jan. 2024
• There’s not a dull moment in her entire body of work, from the ’40s until the ’90s.
  — Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2024
• Don’t be concerned that one faulty bulb will turn all the lights dull or dark.
  — Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2023
• Your muscles might be tender to the touch, and the pain might feel dull, tight, and achy, Dr. Nazareth says.
  — Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 6 Mar. 2023
• During the day, a dull light leaks through the cloudy glass of a 3-inch-wide by 3-foot-tall window.
  — Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
• But that’s far preferable to the rest of the film, which is mind-numbingly dull.
  — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
• The radiator cloud filled the sky, at first just a dull red mist.
  — Karl Schroeder, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024
• Look for melons that are dark in color and with a dull (not shiny) rind.
  — Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 16 July 2023
• The melon will appear more dull rather than glossy green.
  — oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
• One frog is a dull dirt brown with some lighter white patches near its mouth.
  — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024
• This dull and disposable film is a beast that needs to be put down.
  — Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 10 Aug. 2023
• The leaves may appear shiny or dull and often are pointed at the tips.
  — Mike Hogan, The Enquirer, 28 May 2023
• Look Straight Out of a Magazine For the record, kitchen storage doesn’t have to be dull.
  — Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2024
• Don’t let dreary weather dull your style – these Rain Boots are here to save the day.
  — Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
• Behind her, the Polo Club gleamed the dull gleam of brass and mahogany, feather dusters and floor wax.
  — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
• As a Red Sox fan things have been pretty dull and dreary.
  — Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
• Its background looked more green than blue, and the rich red of Anne’s gown had faded to a dull reddish brown.
  — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
• Shopping for coasters might not be the most thrilling, but these are anything but dull.
  — Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024
• If the lime has fully hardened, looks dull, and/or feels light for its size, the pearls inside may have dried out.
  — Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 12 Jan. 2024
• One inch of the coral’s light brown tips was bumpy with living polyps, while the rest was dull white, resembling a dead tree branch.
  — Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
• More people cut themselves with dull knives rather than sharp ones.
  — Samantha Lande, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
• Furthermore, the work tends to be dull, repetitive, and stressful on the body.
  — IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2023
• Sharpen a blade that’s dull (not damaged), using a file.
  — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023
• What should taste vibrant and layered can end up tasting tired and dull.
  — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
• So why is life so dull without your veins?
  — Maggie Millner, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
• Jane’s new club was much less fun, though, and the books were on the dull side.
  — Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
• Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.
  — Karen Stabiner, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
• The world would be so dull if that were true.
  — Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
• If your pan turns dull, rusty, or discolored, reseason it.
  — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026

dull

2 of 2 verb

• She takes medicine to dull the pain.
• The knife was dulled from use.
• Special earplugs dulled the sound of the chain saw.
• The dog's eyes dulled as he got sick.
• His hair dulled as he aged.
• The blade should be replaced as soon as it dulls.
• Fog dulled the morning sunlight.
• Fear dulled his need for adventure.
• It can be used to dull aches and pains and tame a fever.
  — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023
• Shapeless sweats and Nikes that have dulled to the shade of don’t-care.
  — Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
• Rusting dulls the blade and reduces the lifespan of the knife.
  — Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2023
• On the flip side, the wrong glass can dull a stellar wine’s brilliance.
  — Susan Choung, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2023
• But exposure to the roaring U.K. and the EMs may help dull the pain.
  — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2021
• My mom planned to stay at the hotel bar and dull her nerves with raki.
  — Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
• Sergei Bobrovsky made back-to-back saves at one end of the rink, dulling the home crowd waiting to erupt.
  — Stephen Whyno, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023
• Users built up a tolerance to the drugs and needed more and more to dull their pain — or achieve their high.
  — Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2023
• The pain didn’t subside after a few days, though, and the color of her hand began to dull.
  — Mayukh Sen, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2021
• Box clutches are quite classic, but that doesn’t equate to dull.
  — Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2022
• Enlarge / Even 24 hours of race grime couldn't dull the livery of the LMP2 winning car.
  — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2022
• But in a new preview of the film, a villainous laugh threatens to dull her light and drown out her voice.
  — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2022
• What to do: Hitting dirt, gravel, sticks or even just big piles of leaves can dull your blades.
  — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 11 July 2023
• The Niners at least dulled the pain by finding Purdy with the 262nd and final pick last year.
  — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023
• Dark gray lenses, although great on the beach on a sunny day, can dull out the features of the road, field, court, or trails.
  — Rozalynn S. Frazier, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023
• But sesquiterpenes can turn off that switch and dull the sensation of cold.
  — Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
• Rising theft—and stores’ measures to prevent it—could dull that edge.
  — Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
• The song starts with a collection of strings, which can usually dull the mood.
  — Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 24 Feb. 2022
• But this year the shower will be dulled by the supermoon.
  — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025
• Some cleaners can dull the floor's finish, cause damage, or leave streaks.
  — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
• Remove the oven racks before using the self-cleaning function, as the high heat can dull the finish.
  — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Dec. 2025
• For the first week, no amount of morphine could dull the pain.
  — David Freyne, Time, 7 Dec. 2025