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as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a dull dance recital that made us wish that we were someplace else

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily the importance of the discovery was lost on the dull minds of his colleagues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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dull

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dull differ from other similar words?

The words blunt and obtuse are common synonyms of dull. While all three words mean "not sharp, keen, or acute," dull suggests a lack or loss of keenness, zest, or pungency.

a dull pain
a dull mind

When can blunt be used instead of dull?

Although the words blunt and dull have much in common, blunt suggests an inherent lack of sharpness or quickness of feeling or perception.

a person of blunt sensibility

When is it sensible to use obtuse instead of dull?

The meanings of obtuse and dull largely overlap; however, obtuse implies such bluntness as makes one insensitive in perception or imagination.

too obtuse to take the hint

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dull
Adjective
Each time clothes rub against each other in the washer, the friction abrades the fibers slightly causing the surface to look dull. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025 The tower defense minigame is a chore to play through, and Constantinople (now Istanbul) feels a little dull after exploring Renaissance Italy in the previous games. John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
However, the roller heads dulled after weekly reuse, impacting effectiveness — making regular replacements essential, though potentially costly. Jennifer Ford, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025 Prolonged exposure leads to hypothermia, slowing bodily functions, impairing movement, and dulling the senses—essentially making survival a race against time. Scott Travers, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for dull 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dull
Adjective
  • While tariffs offer a quick, broad response to unfair trade practices, they're often criticized as too blunt an instrument.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Officers found Mary Ogle dead inside the house with apparent blunt force trauma, police said.
    Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The entire family is outraged, but Peter insists that the film is slow, boring and essentially, overrated.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Brittany Mahomes is giving boring game-day outfits the boot!
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • After the multiple reports of the train delays, a first responder at the apartment building said over radio that there was burned food in a second-floor apartment and a slight hazy smoke on the second floor.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
  • In the 2010s, when people were coming and buying four-packs of hazy I.P.A. for $16, $18, $20 directly from breweries, that was a very lucrative time.
    Terence McGinley, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But unlike most matte lip products, this viral formula doesn't feel drying on the lips, courtesy of a whole host of skin-loving ingredients such as vitamin E, cotton seed oil, green tea oil and mango oil.
    Denise Primbet, Glamour, 23 Dec. 2024
  • In one snap, their son, Bronze, 2, smiles in the front seat of a mini, matte black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
    Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The image that really got me on social media this week was a faded photo of a man and woman, standing on what looks like the front steps of their home.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2025
  • The Bureau told the story of a spy adrift, working in the shadow of a faded empire.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • There are no more stupid questions and an open, supportive, and curious culture evolves.
    Darpan Munjal, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The cliché that Americans are stupid and lazy is as pernicious as the cliché that teenagers are, well, stupid and lazy.
    John Hodgman, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Downy refers to the soft, white feathers located on a white stripe down its back.
    Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
  • What does a whole-of-society approach look like in leveraging U.S. soft power?
    Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The once relatively sleepy city, long overshadowed by its neighbor Como, has now woken up—and established itself as a destination unto itself.
    Madeline Weinfield, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2025
  • This southern island in the country’s archipelago is a sleepy place, a welcome respite from the development, sometimes overdevelopment, going on elsewhere in the region including the country’s main island Providenciales.
    Laurie Werner, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dull

Cite this Entry

“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dull. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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