Definition of dullnext
1
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a dull dance recital that made us wish that we were someplace else

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

7
8

dull

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dull differ from other similar words?

The words blunt and obtuse are common synonyms of dull. While all three words mean "not sharp, keen, or acute," dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain
a dull mind

When can blunt be used instead of dull?

Although the words blunt and dull have much in common, blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

When is it sensible to use obtuse instead of dull?

The meanings of obtuse and dull largely overlap; however, obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dull
Adjective
Many of the strongest initial applications are the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that go unfilled, contribute to injuries, and pull people away from higher-value judgment and exception handling. — Navin Chaddha, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 But in the years between Logic1000’s in-your-face debut EP and 2024’s duller, more careful Mother, her solo work became less singular. — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
But perpetually hunting in the same locale can dull the shimmer. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Monét sings prettily on both duets, but their conventionality dulls her shine. — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dull
Adjective
  • Paired with on-site energy storage, SSTs could turn data centers from blunt-force loads into more flexible participants in the grid.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But also, the audience is not used to people delivering blunt questions — no matter how stupid the answer.
    — Jade Tran, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Let’s start with tracking Savu, where, because of the tiny tribes, the most obvious and boring thing ends up happening.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Smith is betting that in a market where every phone looks the same, the bigger risk is being boring.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But the movie is a little hazy about what the father may have actually done.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story takes place during the course of one evening, in a hazy spiritual plane where anguished souls are caught between life and the hereafter.
    — Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The finish is a semi-matte—smooth, satin, and shine-free—that looks looks like velvet on the lips.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Its 85-inch QLED display features a highly matte anti-glare screen, so your art and movies look lifelike without annoying reflections.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Investigators described him as a white male in his late 50s, with a scruffy, gray beard who was wearing a faded blue baseball cap.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The landscape flowed in ridges and mountains of faded yellow and whisper pink, where welwitschia–large, low-lying plants that live to be hundreds of years old–sprawled like relics from a Dune film set.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • California is flush with dumb money and bad judgment, and an insatiable romance with an epic 1,200-mile shoreline.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There were so many strangers ready to weigh in on my dumb life choices!
    — Sara Vilkomerson, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Writing diaristic, country-leaning soft-rock, Stiltz also touches on the work of David Berman and Bill Callahan.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The carbon covers the grip, the thumb rest, and the soft-release button, the spots a photographer touches most.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • What was once a boring, sleepy issue where the PUC made decisions more or less in a vacuum is no longer the case.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • On what had been something of a sleepy early Saturday afternoon for the Washington Capitals, Ryan Leonard suddenly produced a scintillating effort that ignited the home team.
    — Des Bieler, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dull. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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