dull

1 of 2

adjective

ˈdəl 

1

: tedious, uninteresting

dull lectures

2

: lacking sharpness of edge or point

a dull knife

3

a

: not resonant or ringing

a dull booming sound

b

: lacking in force, intensity, or sharpness

a dull ache

4

: lacking brilliance or luster

a dull finish

5

: cloudy

dull weather

6

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

a dull green

7

: mentally slow : stupid

8

a

: slow in perception or sensibility : insensible

somewhat dull of hearing

dull to what went on about her

—Willa Cather

b

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

a dull performance

9

: 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.

Synonyms

Adjective

• blunt
• blunted
• dulled
• obtuse

Verb

• benumb
• blunt
• cauterize
• damp
• dampen
• deaden
• numb

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

Examples of dull in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Wella Color Fresh Mask in Rose Blaze and Overtone Rose Gold for Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner are both rosy pink shades designed to be used over brown hair and can be easily swapped out for your regular conditioner when your color starts looking dull. —Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Nov. 2024

Browsing through the options online, she was disappointed by how dull and samey everything was. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

Aging can dull our ability to navigate using spatial memory, the form of memory responsible for recording and recovering the information needed to remember the location of objects in our environment. —New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024

Clearly, the sands of time have not dulled his feelings. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English dul; akin to Old English dol foolish, Old Irish dall blind

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing dull

• (as) dull as dishwater
• (as) dull as ditchwater
• dull-witted
• never a dull moment

Kids Definition

dull

1 of 2 adjective

ˈdəl 

1

: mentally slow : stupid

2

: listless

3

: slow in action : sluggish

4

: lacking sharpness of edge or point

5

: lacking brilliance or luster

6

: not ringing, sharp, or intense

a dull roar

7

: cloudy sense 2, overcast

8

: tedious, uninteresting

a dull lecture

9

: slightly grayish

a dull blue

dullness noun

also dulness

ˈdəl-nəs 

dully

ˈdəl-(l)ē 

adverb

dull

2 of 2 verb

: to make or become dull

Medical Definition

dull

adjective

ˈdəl 

1

: mentally slow or stupid

2

: slow in perception or sensibility

3

: lacking sharpness of edge or point

a dull scalpel

4

: lacking in force, intensity, or acuteness

a dull pain

dull verb

dullness noun

or dulness

ˈdəl-nəs 

dully

ˈdəl-ē 

adverb