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
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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
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Recent Examples of dull
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The omission didn’t dull the meaning for Brooklyn, though.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Firing Alonso, just eight months after appointing him to bring a fresh modern approach to the team, might have dulled some of the pain that Perez and other Madridistas were feeling after regular blows through this season, with Sunday’s Supercopa 3-2 final defeat by Barcelona the latest.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dull
Adjective
Don’t be fooled by the dull façade of their authority.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
The omission didn’t dull the meaning for Brooklyn, though.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
That setback hasn’t dulled the second-year quarterback’s respect for Allen.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Firing Alonso, just eight months after appointing him to bring a fresh modern approach to the team, might have dulled some of the pain that Perez and other Madridistas were feeling after regular blows through this season, with Sunday’s Supercopa 3-2 final defeat by Barcelona the latest.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dull
Adjective
-
If Congress wants to help consumers stuck in high-interest debt, there are far more effective tools than blunt caps.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
-
When response capacity erodes, governments resort to blunt tools — border closures, trade disruptions, emergency spending — that fuel inflation, political backlash, and instability.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
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
Adjective
-
Scratches, streaks, and a hazy appearance are common results of treating oven glass like any other surface, especially when stains have been baked on for some time.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On the beer front, Good Pressure offers popular styles, including clear and hazy IPAs, a Pilsner, blonde ale and American light lager, plus a handful of hard seltzers.—
Brandon Hernandez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 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
-
Okay, there's trying something new and then there's just being dumb.—
Samantha Highfill,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Why portray Dorothy as a doe-eyed ding-a-ling; as not just naive but dumb?—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gordon is facing a lengthy trend of soft tissue injuries.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Compassionate words keep bonds soft and support your spiritual side.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Once a sleepy segment of the overall business, the unit sells power generators, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines that produce electricity for buildings, factories and data centers.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Did the dates and times printed on these sleepy flyers arrive at some juncture somewhere in the world, and did children really congregate to do science experiments?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 2026.
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