dully

adverb

Definition of dullynext
1
as in dimly

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2
as in sluggishly

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Dissimilar Words

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dully
  1. dimly
  2. sluggishly
  3. obscurely
  4. lazily
  5. somberly
  6. lethargically
  7. idly
  8. halfheartedly
Adverb
  • That's why the plants often struggle in the average dimly lit living room.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026
  • Including dimly lit historic dives, beachfront seafood spots, old-school Cuban joints, and beyond.
    — Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
Definition of dimly
Adverb
  • Verstappen qualified second but stalled at the start, falling to last place as his car moved sluggishly.
    — Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 7 June 2026
  • The Knicks came out of halftime sluggishly, falling behind by 13 points in the third quarter.
    — Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
Definition of sluggishly
Adverb
  • 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.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
  • There’s a novella of a wine list, with by-the-glass options obscurely scrawled on a mirror above the bar.
    — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of obscurely
Adverb
  • Unlike Mamdani, whom Platner has often been lazily compared to, and who wielded social media to novel and wildly fruitful ends, Platner is not as much of a digital native, and is a far less polished poster.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • This 469-mile parkway lazily meanders through the Appalachian Highlands in Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of lazily
Adverb
  • Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Definition of somberly
Adverb
  • Cells divide lethargically, which slows the closing of cuts and healing of bruises.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Definition of lethargically
Adverb
  • Gosha, a local station master, has a side-hustle of his own, turning a blind eye while bootleggers siphon diesel from the tankers that sit idly on the train tracks.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 July 2026
  • The West Bank has seen a surge of settler violence – some with instances of Israeli soldiers standing idly by – in conjunction with the Israeli government rapidly expanding settlements throughout the territory.
    — Kaanita Iyer, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of idly
Adverb
  • At least four officers stood by during the assaults, while two others halfheartedly attempted to break them up.
    — Jason Henry, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The rise of disco in the mid-1970s prompted too many soul-music greats to halfheartedly jump on the bandwagon.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of halfheartedly

Browse Nearby Words

dullsvilles
dully
duly
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Cite this Entry

“Dully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dully. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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