1
as in dimly
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2
as in sluggishly
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Recent Examples of dully
His audiences stare back at him, dully hostile.
—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
As a result, unlike what his name would suggest, Unique is a fairly generic loner who dully seeks vengeance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
For a dully cynical take on the OnlyFans economy, there’s Euphoria, but for a more affirming consideration, Margo is well worth the subscription.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
If people in the old days really talked so slowly and dully, more would have died of boredom than of disease.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
As a result, unlike what his name would suggest, Unique is a fairly generic loner who dully seeks vengeance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
For a dully cynical take on the OnlyFans economy, there’s Euphoria, but for a more affirming consideration, Margo is well worth the subscription.
—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
If people in the old days really talked so slowly and dully, more would have died of boredom than of disease.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dully
Adverb
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Including dimly lit historic dives, beachfront seafood spots, old-school Cuban joints, and beyond.
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Winter or summer, logs as big as Popeye’s biceps smolder in the grand fireplace of the dimly lit, deep-blue map room to ensure the theatrical cosiness stays cranked up to 11.
Adverb
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Verstappen qualified second but stalled at the start, falling to last place as his car moved sluggishly.
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The Knicks came out of halftime sluggishly, falling behind by 13 points in the third quarter.
Adverb
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This is the year that the Bob Baker Marionettes — whose hipster cred and general renown increased when the theater moved to Highland Park from its longtime home tucked obscurely west of downtown — played Coachella.
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There’s a novella of a wine list, with by-the-glass options obscurely scrawled on a mirror above the bar.
Adverb
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During warmups, while the French players lazily passed the ball between one another or popped it off the ground to gently juggle with their feet, the Norwegians, their red shirts bright against the grass, formed a tight circle and did vigorous plyometrics.
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The word authenticity, deployed lazily at a marketing conference?
Adverb
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Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
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The season's penultimate scene finds Carl at his favorite haunt, sipping his morning coffee while somberly staring at his tiny Tom Ruffage diorama figure.
Adverb
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Cells divide lethargically, which slows the closing of cuts and healing of bruises.
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For minimal pay, the démineurs face death daily, lethargically; their work is so methodical, and its payoff so distant, that no one really celebrates them.
Adverb
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Leaning on Christos Stylianides’ tasteful trumpet and Jesse Chandler’s flute, the song finds the singer not waiting idly for life to pass by.
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Meanwhile, government organizations such as NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are not sitting idly by.
Adverb
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At least four officers stood by during the assaults, while two others halfheartedly attempted to break them up.
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The rise of disco in the mid-1970s prompted too many soul-music greats to halfheartedly jump on the bandwagon.
Cite this Entry
“Dully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dully. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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