LACKLUSTER Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

lackluster 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of lackluster

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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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

Well, there's one team that somehow seems to have flown a bit under the radar, perhaps due to a lackluster schedule over the first few weeks. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Sales suffered as a result, as well as for a variety of other reasons, including higher prices, longer waits for pickup orders and lackluster food options. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The Game credits the genre’s lackluster showing lately to a modern disconnect from the generation of rap he was raised in where titans sparred in collaboration and juicy remixes ruled. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026 Stocks are coming off a week defined by surging Treasury yields and a surprisingly lackluster jobs report that helped ease concerns about another Fed rate hike this month. — Justina Lee,tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lackluster

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackluster

Adjective

Saving the best for last, Reiter was certainly a bright spot on an otherwise dull episode.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
These gadgets work wonders for at-home maintenance between in-office treatments, or on their own as a pick-me-up—targeting everything from stubborn hair to dull skin.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dull

Noun

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
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

Definition of grayness

Adjective

For indie investors, the pathway to getting their money back gets murkier by the day.

— Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
The situation became murkier as French lawyer Suzane Blum took increasing control over the affairs of Simpson, who had become increasingly paranoid and befuddled.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of murky

Adjective

Nordic drama is still often associated internationally with crime, darker tones and a certain visual restraint.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Campaign images show close-fitting cycling jerseys paired with dark shorts, with prints ranging from yellow-green graphics to blue-and-white patterns.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of dark

Adjective

Jerusalem — Three years to the minute after the start of the deadliest single day in Israel’s history, the country marked the somber occasion with a series of ceremonies, memorials and protests at more than 400 locations.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
On the one hand, Ravana’s defeat is celebrated with jubilation; on the other, the goddess Durga’s departure is marked by a somber farewell.

— Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of somber

Noun

But the murkiness doesn’t last long in a production that achieves an admirable balance between objectivity and emotion, abstraction and representation.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 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

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lackluster

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“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackluster. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lackluster

adjective

noun

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