lull

1 of 2

verb

ˈləl 

lulled; lulling; lulls

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sleep or rest : soothe

He was lulled to sleep by her soothing voice.

2

: to cause to relax vigilance

were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2

noun

1

: a temporary pause or decline in activity

the early-morning lull in urban noise

: such as

a

: a temporary drop in business activity

b

: a temporary calm before or during a storm

2

archaic : something that lulls

especially : lullaby

Synonyms

Verb

• becalm
• calm
• compose
• lullaby
• quiet
• quieten [chiefly British]
• salve
• settle
• soothe
• still
• tranquilize
• tranquillize

Noun

• break
• breath
• breather
• interruption
• pause
• recess

Examples of lull in a Sentence

Verb

The music lulled him to sleep.

the absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security

Noun

we took the opportunity of a lull in the conversation to announce that we were engaged to be married

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

By infecting legitimate websites, in this instance users would be lulled into a false sense of security initially, but the redirect to a fake web store is when alarm bells should start to ring. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

The dripping oil merged with the extraction’s dense aroma to lull viewers into a false calm, much as historical romanticalization deploys its populist charm. —Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

The defense overcame the offensive lull as safety Alohi Gilman grabbed his first interception of the season and Still got his first professional interception early in the fourth quarter. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

But the October lull — as most hunters perceive it — doesn’t exist. —Mark Melotik, Outdoor Life, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English; probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing lull

• the calm/lull before the storm

Kids Definition

lull

1 of 2 verb

ˈləl 

1

: to cause to sleep or rest

2

: to cause to relax vigilance

were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2 noun

1

: a temporary calm before or during a storm

2

: a temporary drop in activity