1
as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
the dull knife just bounced off the skin of the tomato without cutting it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
a dull dance recital that made us wish that we were someplace else
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3
as in hazy
covered over by clouds
dull skies plagued most of our vacation days at the beach
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4
as in dulled
lacking a surface luster or gloss
a good polish should restore that car's dull finish
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5
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
that canvas shirt should fade to an attractive, dull red over time
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6
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
the importance of the discovery was lost on the dull minds of his colleagues
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7
as in soft
not loud in pitch or volume
a dull roar from the distance
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8
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a dull market for luxury goods this holiday season
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1
as in to blunt
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the aspirin dulled his headache and he was soon feeling better
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2
as in to bleach
to make white or lighter by removing color
the painting's once-vivid colors have been dulled by time
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dull
Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Sadly, the series never really manages to coalesce into anything more than the sum of its parts, and many of the episodes feel frustratingly dry and dull.
—New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2026
Jillian Kubala, Health, 28 Jan. 2026
The men were loose-brained now, dulled by aguardiente and whatever narcotic Grejo had shot into himself, but the morning sun might deliver a hard-nosed clarity, the kind that could get Adi killed.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dull
Adjective
Expecting catalysts later in the year Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring and Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan remain bullish on Apple in the long run, even if this upcoming report proves a bit dull.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Sadly, the series never really manages to coalesce into anything more than the sum of its parts, and many of the episodes feel frustratingly dry and dull.
—New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Protein shakes are an easy way to bridge the gap between mealtimes without dulling your appetite.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 28 Jan. 2026
The men were loose-brained now, dulled by aguardiente and whatever narcotic Grejo had shot into himself, but the morning sun might deliver a hard-nosed clarity, the kind that could get Adi killed.
—Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dull
Adjective
-
Instead of her signature long blonde hair and full set of blunt bangs, Swift rocked a dark brunette lob with messy waves and swooping curtain bangs parted in the middle.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The gloves are off, the language is blunter, and the patience for euphemism is gone.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Supporting your bone health doesn’t have to be complicated or boring.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Halftime shows for many years were also fairly boring affairs.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But Moltbook illustrates how hazy that vision really is.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The couple meets again a purposefully fuzzy period of time later, disagreeing on the hazy details.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, her glam was soft and even-toned, bolstered only by a sharp baby wing of black liner, highlight on her nose and a faded taupe hue on her lips.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Each of the 22 pages, about the size of those in a typical hardcover book, is inscribed on both sides with easily visible black and faded-brown words written by the monks.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And then quite a bit of dumb bits, like really dumb bits.—
Eric Ducker,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The multi-vehicle pile-up that ensues might go even dumber than a Rusko drop, yet there’s no escaping the anxiety that remains in the static hiss that closes the track.—
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The team aimed to recreate this kind of dynamic control in a soft, synthetic material using digital design rather than complex biological systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The village range will include a hybrid hoodie combining a soft fleece front with a ripstop nylon back, displaying a tricolor mountain motif, as well as a T-shirt designed as a nod to the Paris Games in 2024 and a recycled polyester sherpa.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Her baffling disappearance has gripped the nation, leading many Americans to question how an octogenarian leading a sleepy life in the Southwest was taken while her neighbors were asleep.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
In 2020, however, narcos invaded the sleepy rancho and robbed, killed and kidnapped with abandon.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This comes at a time when there has been talk of reducing the number of PGA tournaments on the calendar.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The cross-border clearing platform could streamline operations, reducing risks in OTC trades that dominate the market.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dull. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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