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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2

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
Adjective
  • The Salon Clutch Structured yet theatrical, Le Salon is Jacquemus’s answer to the evening clutch—pared back, but never boring.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 10 May 2025
  • Even Jiro himself, originally thought the film would be boring, Gelb admitted.
    Kristin L. Wolfe, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Harry was less committed in a grey sweater and blazer.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 May 2025
  • Troopers began to patrol I-95 South in attempts to locate the grey Jeep bearing Rhode Island registration plates, state police said.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Life has likely felt a bit nebulous and slow for you in the past year, Cancer.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • Albon asked Williams for information on where Leclerc was likely slow at the restart, looking for a spot to capitalize.
    Luke Smith, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Home to some of our favorite bedding and bath towels, Brooklinen offers this sheet set, which comes in playful patterns and interesting colors like basil green and a subtle gray and white stripe.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 14 May 2025
  • The Kansas City Chiefs tight end wore a blue and white graphic T-shirt under a sleek gray blazer paired with matching gray trousers, with his hair slicked back.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Upgrade Lounge will be open in the mornings from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm ET, and again in the evenings from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET—but weary travelers who miss these windows can still relax in the lounge’s cushy couches and swivel chairs outside of operating hours.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2025
  • Now, the Entity intends to annihilate humanity in four days unless it can be taken offline by a key that accesses a gizmo in the Arctic Sea that connects to a whatsit that Ving Rhames’s weary Luther is attempting to invent from a makeshift hospital bed somewhere in the subway tunnels of London.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • The upper pot leans dramatic, thanks to the contrast of the scarlet–trim silver leaves of 'Jurassic Dino Dragon Fruit’ rex begonia, which play off the variegated English ivy and shrubby everlasting.
    Mike Irvine, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2025
  • The actress paired her Dior little black dress with a pair of strappy sandal heels and accessorized with shimmering jewelry pieces, including a silver statement necklace.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • There’s an effort from the developer, Far Out Games, to tell a captivating noirish story here but the cutscenes and dialogue are painfully dull.
    Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • The bristles of the brush manually sweep away dull, rough, flaky skin cells.
    Angela Palmer, Verywell Health, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Of course, all that excitement does get tiring after a while, and the dogs in side B eventually wind down for a brief nap.
    Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
  • At-home blowouts are hard; even when armed with the right tutorials and top-of-the-line tools, all the maneuvering gets tiring quickly.
    Kylee McGuigan, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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