as in dulled
not having brightness, brilliance, or vitality
a lackluster, dingy Main Street a lackluster performance His writing can be lackluster at times.
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Dissimilar Words
as in grayness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lackluster
Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The lackluster debut adds to a growing list of product bets by OpenAI that haven’t yet paid off.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Hiring has also been lackluster, with employers adding just 181,000 jobs last year.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Dunn pointed to when Bannon tried to rally the crowd on the main stage at CPAC around the war in Iran, but was met with a lackluster response.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Adjective
The shrinkage follows lackluster economic performance in 2025, which plummeted the company’s shares by 25% in February.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
The lackluster debut adds to a growing list of product bets by OpenAI that haven’t yet paid off.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Hiring has also been lackluster, with employers adding just 181,000 jobs last year.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Dunn pointed to when Bannon tried to rally the crowd on the main stage at CPAC around the war in Iran, but was met with a lackluster response.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackluster
Noun
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Shraya seems to find comfort within this grayness, and in the autonomy that comes from shifting the question from who is good and who is bad to who is good for me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The region’s oft-sung-about grayness turns neon, swirling together in a piercing hue of evergreen and dark blues.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hochheiser, who could not return to his condo due to a mold infestation, said one dull day melted into another at Villa Rosa III.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Found Sound is a story about two kids, Felix and Marigold, and a seemingly dull summer vacation that’s upended when the kids find an old wooden box that says OPEN ME.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some of the symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia include fatigue, weakness and paleness.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Other symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, paleness, and a rapid heart rate.—
Peter Pressman,
Verywell Health,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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How Georgians will vote in the midterms this year is still murky.—
Caleb Groves,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Now, two weeks since the first storm hit, the ocean water is still murky due to runoff that carries harmful pathogens and chemicals from sewage systems, animal feces and industrial facilities.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rising demand for low-iron, seamless glass In the past few decades, low-iron glass, known for its colorlessness, has become the contemporary symbol of high-end architecture.—
Aki Ishida,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the last night that anybody else reportedly saw Nancy, that camera caught a glimpse of a person clad in dark clothes, wearing gloves and a black balaclava, unidentifiable, standing at the threshold.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mahan and Villaraigosa are the only two Democrats who have publicly called to roll back regulations on the state’s oil and gas market, illustrating the political murkiness at the nexus of California’s climate and affordability challenges.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The past few days’ fallout is a long way from any somber scene like that.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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The glow of hundreds of candles illuminated somber faces, sobs often cutting through the silence in the crisp spring air.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackluster. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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