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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as in grayness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lackluster
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
The reality of the situation is in a marketplace where word of mouth travels at a lightning speed, longer windows for this fall’s crop of lackluster-grade movies wouldn’t necessarily draw more people.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Given all the hype around agentic AI, why has Salesforce seen lackluster performance over the last five years?
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
These signs could mean the difference between taking home a lackluster fruit and one that’s ripe and brimming with antioxidants.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Adjective
In the third quarter, revenue was up 5 percent at constant exchange as double-digit direct-to-consumer sales offset lackluster wholesale revenue.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
The reality of the situation is in a marketplace where word of mouth travels at a lightning speed, longer windows for this fall’s crop of lackluster-grade movies wouldn’t necessarily draw more people.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Given all the hype around agentic AI, why has Salesforce seen lackluster performance over the last five years?
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
These signs could mean the difference between taking home a lackluster fruit and one that’s ripe and brimming with antioxidants.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lackluster
Noun
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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
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Instead, watching Charles attempt to insert himself into the Garfield Administration by forging papers and sneaking into buildings feels repetitive and a bit dull.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their life in Watertown had been ordinary, maybe even dull sometimes.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Philadelphia 76ers' immediate and medium-term future looked murky coming into this season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Still, Kenya’s longer-term political outlook just got a lot murkier, as the scramble to win over Odinga’s supporters will intensify in the months ahead.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
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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Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos were looked at by many across the NFL as a dark-horse Super Bowl contender before the season started.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Sor Juana’s verses confirm that venturing into the dating pool is always like stepping into a dark abyss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Eliza Varadi, a pediatrician in South Carolina, told me that the murkiness around insurance coverage, coupled with lower demand, has prompted her practice to start ordering COVID vaccines just one box at a time—each a batch of 10 doses—to minimize the potential for loss.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
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The vessel was operating in international waters but that added to the murkiness of the legal justification.—
Emily Goodin,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The 29th edition of the fest is showing off its usual rich selection of progressive programming to be sure, but in terms of emotion, one viewer told co-directors Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn, films here are usually more about getting angry or perhaps somber.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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Elsewhere in the interview, Eilish discussed the music industry’s initial doubt that her introspective, more somber (and at times devastating) songs wouldn’t appeal to a wide audience.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Those extra ingredients don’t evaporate quickly on glass and can leave frustrating streaks, cloudiness, and smudges behind.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
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Specific city forecasts show variable cloudiness, with Cleveland and Akron expected to be the most overcast.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lackluster. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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