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 Yikes, this finale fell as flat and dully as Janet’s solo cup hit Danny’s head. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026 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
  • It’s dimly lit by oil lamps with polished wooden tables and a sturdy oak bar that runs along the back.
    — USA TODAY NETWORK, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Adjacent to the pool and up a set of stairs, the brilliant, elusive, and unusual space offers an even better view of the city skyline, and becomes dimly-lit as the night comes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 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
  • The fantasy of a cultural architecture that’s as flexible as culture itself has been kicking around for more than 100 years, and there’s something obscurely disappointing about seeing a technocratic version get put into practice.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of obscurely
Adverb
  • The Roamer rolled lazily in the light swell that was coming in from the open lake, and our rod tips dipped and rose, but nobody got a strike.
    — JAMES D. OXLEY, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But the sausage slipped from its grip and plopped back into formation, alongside the others revolving lazily between rollers.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of lazily
Adverb
  • James Hoffa, his sister Barbara, their adult children and grandchildren somberly mark this day with each passing year.
    — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • Nantz somberly delivered the emotional news while taking several breaks to compose himself.
    — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 8 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
  • And, when the military was eventually deployed, the most visible intervention was thousands of armed men controlling traffic and standing idly by the ruins.
    — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of idly
Adverb
  • The show’s interests are theoretically in a nuclear family gradually coming back together, though even that theme is halfheartedly pursued.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of halfheartedly

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Dully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dully. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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