dull

1 of 2

adjective

ˈdəl

Synonyms of dull next

: tedious, uninteresting

dull lectures

: lacking sharpness of edge or point

a dull knife

: not resonant or ringing

a dull booming sound

: lacking in force, intensity, or sharpness

a dull ache

: lacking brilliance or luster

a dull finish

: cloudy

dull weather

of a color : low in saturation (see saturation sense 4a) and low in lightness

a dull green

: mentally slow : stupid

: slow in perception or sensibility : insensible

somewhat dull of hearing

dull to what went on about her—

Willa Cather

: lacking zest (see zest sense 2) or vivacity : listless

a dull performance

: slow in action : sluggish

dull markets

dullness noun

or less commonly dulness

ˈdəl-nəs

dully

ˈdə(l)-lē

adverb

dull

2 of 2

verb

dulled; dulling; dulls

transitive verb

: to make dull

dull a knife's edge

intransitive verb

: to become dull

The blade dulled with use.

Choose the Right Synonym for dull

dull, blunt, obtuse mean not sharp, keen, or acute.

dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain

a dull mind

blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

synonyms see in addition stupid

Example Sentences

Adjective the dull roar of the crowd the dull knife just bounced off the skin of the tomato without cutting it Verb Fog dulled the morning sunlight. Special earplugs dulled the sound of the chain saw. His hair dulled as he aged. The dog's eyes dulled as he got sick. She takes medicine to dull the pain. Fear dulled his need for adventure. The knife was dulled from use. The blade should be replaced as soon as it dulls. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Legacy is an incredibly dull mid-size sedan that comes across more like a Japanese Buick than a street-legal rally machine posing as a four-door family car. —

Nicholas Wallace, Car and Driver, 21 Mar. 2023 In those situations, rig it externally on a traditional ball or darter head, though either will slightly dull its action. —

Pete M. Anderson, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2023 Sharpen a blade that’s dull (not damaged), using a file. —

Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023 Unlike most peelers, which usually only have so long a lifetime before their blades dull, the Forever Peeler comes with a replacement blade. —

Alaina Chou, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2023 Add the bouquet garni to the pot and simmer until the chicken is super tender and the broth is very flavorful, 30 to 45 minutes (adding the herb package too early can cause the flavors to cook away completely or become dull). —

Good Housekeeping, 14 Mar. 2023 The pressure caused by this backup causes a dull ache around your eyes, greenish-yellow discharge from your nose, pounding headaches—and sometimes, a swollen face. —

Alexis Jones, Women's Health, 14 Mar. 2023 This is for obvious reasons: The current AI tools are prone to both errors and bias, and often produce dull, unoriginal writing. —

Gideon Lichfield, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2023 Still, in a movie this dull, a preposterous whopper is preferable to the flavorless sludge that has preceded it. —

Rene Rodriguez, Variety, 2 Mar. 2023

Verb

And after all this time, even a pandemic couldn't dull its luster. —

Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Feb. 2023 While all that admirably gifts the picture with a bright effervescence, its blights dull its impact, leading to a slight case of rigor mortis. —

Courtney Howard, Variety, 1 Dec. 2022 But in a new preview of the film, a villainous laugh threatens to dull her light and drown out her voice. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2022 If such news can raise doubts about other signs of weakness, three considerations dull the force of any such counterargument. —

Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 Rising theft—and stores’ measures to prevent it—could dull that edge. —

Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022 It can be used to dull aches and pains and tame a fever. —

Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023 Users built up a tolerance to the drugs and needed more and more to dull their pain — or achieve their high. —

Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2023 Though be advised that some high water pressure and detergents can dull the edge and loosen the handle. —

Audrey Bruno, SELF, 27 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.