lackluster 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of lacklusternext
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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lackluster

2 of 2

noun

as in grayness

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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 lackluster
Adjective
Republicans dedicated about $45 million, and Marshall proved to be a lackluster fundraiser. — John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026 In the last few years, OCPS has struggled with declining enrollment, lackluster state funding, rising healthcare costs and the surge of voucher use for private and home schooling. — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 Andrew Novak dominates south of the border Andrew Novak was in the midst of a lackluster 2026 season before arriving in Mexico. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 The Baltimore Sun’s Matt Weyrich and Josh Tolentino react to Jackson’s latest injury blow and break down the Ravens’ lackluster 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. — Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackluster
  1. dull
  2. grayness
  3. murky
  4. paleness
  5. dark
  6. colorlessness
  7. somber
  8. murkiness
Adjective
  • Just like many of his neighbors, the sound of the Delciello’s bell sent Carmody scrambling to round up tools and knives that needed their dull blades refreshed.
    — Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Spend your peak time on low-value work, and your axe will be dull for everything that counts.
    — Jeremy Macliver, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of dull
Noun
  • In the grayness that should have been sunrise that morning, dark clouds sagged baggily over the very treetops, bulging as if ready to split under their liquid weight.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The pallid grayness of Mike Eley’s cinematography is probably supposed to mimic the finality of HIV/AIDS taking hold, but there’s no passion aesthetically to counterbalance what becomes absolute misery onscreen to watch.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of grayness
Adjective
  • But the meteoric takeoff of karaoke has soared far past its humble—and slightly murky—origins.
    — Skyli Alvarez, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • But the distinction between physical and mental phenomena becomes murky in disembodied entities like language models.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of murky
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
Definition of paleness
Adjective
  • The watch is home to a dark gray gradient opaline in the dial’s center, surrounded by a light-gray sunburst gradient on the chapter ring.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The television special offered a glimpse of the conversation pit, now done up with dark maroon carpet and a navy sofa with white cushions.
    — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • 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
Definition of colorlessness
Adjective
  • Over the decades, Rockwell tried his hand at a mix of projects—somber indies like sci-fi drama Moon (2009), studio awards contenders including The Green Mile (1999), and mainstream fare like Iron Man 2 (2010).
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s series goes in a more somber, ruminative direction in the back half of the eight new episodes premiering today on Netflix, balancing the season’s entertaining yet repetitive early episodes.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of somber
Noun
  • From the start, Newsom understood the moral murkiness of his maneuver and included a provision returning map-drawing to the independent commission after the 2030 census.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Because of the legal murkiness, Pratte urges people to talk to an attorney before foregoing registration.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of murkiness

Browse Nearby Words

lacking
lackluster
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Cite this Entry

“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackluster. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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