1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
a leaden performance of a classic American play that nearly put us to sleep
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grey
of the color gray
the leaden sky made everything seem dark and depressing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leaden
But Betancourt’s approach feels leaden with reference and citation, too often leaning on a catalog of cultural properties to advance an argument that is, at its heart, empirical.
—
Jake Nevins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Humor — both black and camp — is the key here, unlike the often-leaden film which relied on special effects rather than a sharp script and knowing comic direction for its wow factor.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
For a movie whose chief anthem is an advertisement for the joys of defying gravity, Wicked is surprisingly leaden, with a promise of more of the same to come.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Nov. 2024
The men gasped, took deep useless breaths of the leaden wet air, and shambled forward grunting and sobbing, their arms slowly and inevitably bending toward the ground.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Jake Nevins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Humor — both black and camp — is the key here, unlike the often-leaden film which relied on special effects rather than a sharp script and knowing comic direction for its wow factor.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
For a movie whose chief anthem is an advertisement for the joys of defying gravity, Wicked is surprisingly leaden, with a promise of more of the same to come.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 20 Nov. 2024
The men gasped, took deep useless breaths of the leaden wet air, and shambled forward grunting and sobbing, their arms slowly and inevitably bending toward the ground.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
Adjective
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No more boring, irrelevant training modules—this is learning at the speed of work.—
Lisa Bodell,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In one of the videos, obtained by CNN from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, Dali can be seen proceeding through the security checkpoint’s body scanner, and getting a pat down while wearing a tan shirt over a grey hoodie and jeans.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
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Josh McDaniels was looking thinner, and he’s got more grey hairs on his head, but the offensive coordinator – returning for his third stint with the Patriots – seemed recharged in his first meeting with reporters since being hired by head coach Mike Vrabel in January.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The non-violent struggle for freedom is a slow but steady process.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
5 May 2025
-
The facade was one of drama but for Preston, the reality has been a slow, weary decline.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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The chair comes with dark gray and light gray cushions, and both are on sale for up to 51 percent off.—
Rachel Trujillo,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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Penny Jo dreams of being able to have Dolly's outlook on life because her world feels so gray, dark, and trapped.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
The sleep aide wakes up the weary with customizable light settings and soothing sounds—not to mention, will look like total eye candy on her nightstand.—
Sarah Madaus,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2025
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Tym Brown adds fine support as the school’s weary and worn-down principal.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But about three-fourths of Hurdle’s new clients have already decided to join the silver sisterhood, and in those cases, greyblending is all done below the line of demarcation to adapt to the colors of the new growth.—
Lindsy Van Gelder,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
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For its silver anniversary, the BET Awards is pulling out all the stops.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The light turned from orange to dull gray, and then Joe nudged my aching ribs — the tiger was standing in a glade 60 yards downhill.—
Cyril E. Holland,
Outdoor Life,
8 May 2025
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The actors’ shared genetics help Kurt convincingly play the older Wyatt, and their natural charisma helps make even the dullest scenes eminently watchable.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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View 6 Images Reading and writing on regular tablets can be tiring for your eyes, which is where E Ink can help.—
Paul Ridden,
New Atlas,
20 Mar. 2025
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Ultimately, many on the internet have identified this week as a particularly tiring one for Black K-pop fans.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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