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

The post-2020 calm had lulled many countries into thinking that Syria shouldn’t be a priority so long as combatants weren’t exchanging fire. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024

People are lulled or suckered into walking down a possibly endangering primrose path. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Noun

Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. —Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Typically each year, a lull in the retail business cloaks industry results from right after Cyber Monday until 10 days to two weeks before Christmas. —David Moin, WWD, 3 Dec. 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