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
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
And treading water is making my legs and arms feel leaden.
—
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
The subtext becomes text, and the film isn’t quite scary enough to make up for its mostly leaden message.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Lizz Schumer, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
The subtext becomes text, and the film isn’t quite scary enough to make up for its mostly leaden message.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for leaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
Adjective
-
This is worlds away from that boring deli chicken sandwich, while still being easy enough to whip up on the busiest of days.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
-
The contract’s scope of work includes the single bore tunnel, station entrances and exits, the excavation of underground stations and the procurement of a tunnel boring machine.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
One fit pairs a loose blue button-down, top buttons undone, with slouchy denim shorts and a soft grey trench coat.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Cars from all ten teams were lined up on a grey carpet under LED billboards and visitors crowded onto bleachers to watch gawk at the stars, the takeover of an iconic American location (albeit one filled with European tourists) a metaphor for the sport’s hopes.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The music is, for the most part, quiet and slow, often hovering at the edge of silence.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
-
Repeated waxing weakens follicles, making hair grow in finer and slower over time.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
The watch is complemented with a black and gray bi-material rubber and gray textile strap with the Luna Rossa stripe as well as a second black rubber strap.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Its neutral gray pattern lends itself to both modern and classic interiors, and the synthetic latex backing, low pile, and flatweave design are perfect for high-trafficked areas like the entryway and family room.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
After dark, there’s a Midnight Snack cart delivering warm, comfort-food bites to weary red-eye travelers (because New York never sleeps, and neither do airport people).—
Paul Rubio,
AFAR Media,
23 June 2025
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But others may hear Xi Jinping’s call not as a rallying cry but as a weary echo of the past.—
JOSEPH TORIGIAN,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
To match its maritime origins, it was incised with designs of cavorting Tritons and surmounted with a silver Neptune riding a hippocampus—a lot of gaudy ornament around a big brown husk.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
26 June 2025
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Matching trousers and loafers emblazoned with hundreds of silver gemstones were an integral piece of this look too.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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And what often emerges instead is a dull kind of numbness, chronic irritability or total withdrawal.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Commercial or bulk matcha is often a dull yellowish or brown color, coarse in texture, and noticeably bitter.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Seeing that expansion and contraction over and over for six episodes (let alone three seasons) can grow tiring, and Season 3 certainly suffers from a sense of exhaustion.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
27 June 2025
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Now in his 80s trips to the islands are more challenging, and maintaining a boat that can make the journey is expensive and tiring.—
Kathleen Rellihan,
Outside Online,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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