dull
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.not interesting or exciting in any way.
adj.lacking interest or excitement; tedious.
Simple“The lecture was so dull that half the students fell asleep.”
In context“The critic dismissed the film as a dull repetition of tropes that have been explored more effectively in earlier works.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having an edge that is not sharp and cannot cut easily.
adj.lacking a sharp edge or point; blunt.
Simple“It is difficult to chop vegetables with such a dull knife.”
In context“The carpenter set aside the dull chisel, noting that the blade required significant honing before it could produce a clean cut.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.not bright, shiny, or clear; often used for colours or weather.
adj.lacking brilliance or luster; matte or overcast.
Simple“The sky was a dull grey just before the rain started to fall.”
In context“Years of neglect had left the silver trophy with a dull finish that resisted even the most vigorous polishing.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used to describe a pain that is not sharp but stays for a long time.
adj.describing a physical sensation that is indistinct, muffled, or lacking in sharpness but persistent.
Simple“He felt a dull ache in his lower back after working in the garden.”
In context“The patient complained of a dull, throbbing sensation in her temples that intensified whenever she was exposed to bright light.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a feeling, pain, or sound less strong or sharp.
v.to moderate, soften, or reduce the intensity of a sensation or quality.
Simple“The doctor gave her some medicine to dull the pain after the surgery.”
In context“The heavy curtains were designed to dull the noise from the busy street outside, creating a quiet sanctuary for the residents.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to make an edge less sharp through use or damage.
v.to remove the sharpness of an edge or point; to blunt.
Simple“Cutting through thick cardboard will quickly dull your scissors.”
In context“Constant contact with the abrasive sandy soil served to dull the plough's blade far sooner than the farmer had anticipated.”
“When your nose is blocked, even your favorite foods can seem dull.”
“She was asked to speak about geography in Scotland, which she thought could be “quite dull”, and instead began researching the first Geographer Royal, who turned out to be “a really interesting character”.”
From Middle English dull, dul (also dyll, dill, dwal), from Old English dol (“dull, foolish, erring, heretical; foolish, silly; presumptuous”), from Proto-West Germanic dol, from Proto-Germanic dulaz, from earlier dwulaz, a variant of dwalaz (“stunned, mad, foolish, misled”), from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel-, dʰewel- (“to dim, dull, cloud, make obscure, swirl, whirl”). Cognate with Scots dull, doll (“slow to understand or hear, deaf, dull”), North Frisian dol (“rash, unthinking, giddy, flippant”), Dutch dol (“crazy, mad, insane”), Low German dul, dol (“mad, silly, stupid, fatuous”), German toll (“crazy, mad, wild, fantastic”), Danish dval (“foolish, absurd”), Icelandic dulur (“secretive, silent”), West-Flemish dul (angry, furious).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.