adj

dull

duhl

adj

Boring; lacking interest or excitement.

"The lecture was so dull that half the class fell asleep."

Not sharp; unable to cut easily.

"This knife has gone dull — it won't even slice a tomato."

Lacking shine or brightness; not vivid.

"Years of neglect had left the silverware dull and tarnished."

Slow to understand; not sharp-witted.

"He felt dull and sluggish after staying up all night."

verb

To make or become less sharp, bright, or intense.

"The painkillers dulled the ache in her shoulder."

"Years of use had dulled the blade's edge."

How to Use Dull

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLacking sharpness, shine, excitement, or quickness of mind — covers blades, colors, personalities, and pain alike.

Common pairings

dull pain dull knife dull weather dull as dishwater

duller comparative, dulled past tense, dulled past tense, dulls plural, Dulls plural, dulls singular, dulls singular, dullest superlative

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The lecture was so _____ that half the class fell asleep.

From Old English dol, "foolish, stupid" — related to German toll ("crazy, wild") and ultimately from a root meaning "to dim or make obscure."

dullen

bull gull pull full null cull lull mull hull skull scull seagull

dullen