dulled 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of dullednext
1
as in matte
lacking a surface luster or gloss it might be best to paint the exposed pipes with a dulled enamel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faded
lacking intensity of color the dulled colors and brownish tones are characteristic of this painter's works

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blunted
lacking sharpness of edge or point the dulled blade of a knife that had been stored in a drawer full of miscellaneous utensils

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dulled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of dull
1
as in reduced
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling the aspirin dulled his headache and he was soon feeling better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bleached
to make white or lighter by removing color the painting's once-vivid colors have been dulled by time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dulled
  1. matte
  2. faded
  3. blunted
  4. pale
  5. blunt
  6. reduced
  7. brightened
  8. dull
Adjective
  • 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
  • The texture is airy and buttery, while the finish is natural without being completely matte.
    Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2024
Definition of matte
Adjective
  • The board has been forgotten, but its presence looms over everything, not unlike the faded eyes of oculist Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, whose gaze sees all, even quietly desperate Bravo-show guest features that go nowhere.
    Kinsey Jasnoch, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
  • There’s a good bit of history in the faded paint: The late D’Alessandros — Old Tommy and Young Tommy, both Baltimore mayors, and the father and brother, respectively, of Pelosi — appear.
    Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of faded
Verb
  • Lepers’s case study offers a test of whether the same is true in your 50s, or whether the body’s adaptive potential is so blunted that some of the losses become permanent.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 23 Dec. 2024
  • On a third day, exercising afterwards blunted my Lingo Count by a few points.
    Meg Tirrell, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
Definition of blunted
Adjective
  • That’s true even though junior colleges are not NCAA member institutions, and their football program’s quality of play and their players’ NIL opportunities often pale in comparison to D-1.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2024
  • However, according to a study published this September in the British Journal of Social Psychology, these traits pale in comparison to one other—kindness.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Definition of pale
Adjective
  • An autopsy revealed the father had been stabbed approximately 50 times and had sustained multiple injuries, including broken bones, strangulation marks, and blunt force trauma to the head, face, and back.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Federov is a woodcutter with a blunt axe, unable to keep up with his competitors who use saws.
    Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of blunt
Verb
  • This year, major pharmacy chains might have reduced hours around the holidays.
    Gabe Hauari, The Courier-Journal, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The combined policies could have reduced or eliminated the education debts of millions of Americans.
    Annie Nova, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • Hotter and brighter than the sun The OGLE data revealed several objects in the LMC and SMC that brightened by between 10 and 20 times over the course of a few months.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Between 2018 and 2020, for instance, the telescope spotted a slight color change in Saturn’s central band, which brightened by around 5 to 10 percent.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of brightened
Adjective
  • From designing cutting-edge medical devices to building electric vehicles in the factory of the future—using robots, AI, VR, automation and more—manufacturing is anything but dull.
    Ethan Karp, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Or just a dull roar, bellowing 93 million miles away?
    Harri Weber, Popular Science, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of dull
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near dulled

dullards

dulled

dulling

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Dulled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dulled. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on dulled

Nglish: Translation of dulled for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dulled for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...