1
: tedious, uninteresting
dull lectures
2
: lacking sharpness of edge or point
a dull knife
3
a
: not resonant or ringing
a dull booming sound
b
: lacking in force, intensity, or sharpness
a dull ache
4
: lacking brilliance or luster
a dull finish
5
: cloudy
dull weather
6
of a color
: low in saturation (see saturation sense 4a) and low in lightness
a dull green
7
: mentally slow : stupid
8
a
: slow in perception or sensibility : insensible
somewhat dull of hearing
dull to what went on about her—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather
b
: lacking zest (see zest sense 2) or vivacity : listless
a dull performance
9
: slow in action : sluggish
dull markets
dulled; dulling; dulls
: to make dull
dull a knife's edge
: to become dull
The blade dulled with use.
Synonyms
Examples of dull in a Sentence
Adjective
the dull roar of the crowd
the dull knife just bounced off the skin of the tomato without cutting it
Verb
Fog dulled the morning sunlight.
Special earplugs dulled the sound of the chain saw.
His hair dulled as he aged.
The dog's eyes dulled as he got sick.
She takes medicine to dull the pain.
Fear dulled his need for adventure.
The knife was dulled from use.
The blade should be replaced as soon as it dulls.
Recent Examples on the WebMia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2024
According to Gunn, dull razor blades can not only cause skin irritation and razor burn, but are more likely to cause ingrowns; whereas Camp emphasizes that fewer blades may not give you the closest shave, allowing some hair to remain above the surface to reduce the formation of ingrown hairs.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2024
Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
At least shopping holidays, like Amazon Prime Day starting July 16, help dull the blow to your wallet.
—Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for dull 
Adjective
These under-eye masks revive dull skin around your eyes and help prevent signs of aging by smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2024
According to Gunn, dull razor blades can not only cause skin irritation and razor burn, but are more likely to cause ingrowns; whereas Camp emphasizes that fewer blades may not give you the closest shave, allowing some hair to remain above the surface to reduce the formation of ingrown hairs.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 15 Aug. 2024
Verb
For Hugh, one of the biggest challenges of designing the episode was figuring out when to dial up the level of emotion so as not to dull the impact of the ending.
—Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024
At least shopping holidays, like Amazon Prime Day starting July 16, help dull the blow to your wallet.
—Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for dull
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dull
Cite this Entry
“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dull. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dull
1 of 2 adjective1
: mentally slow : stupid
2
: listless
3
: slow in action : sluggish
4
: lacking sharpness of edge or point
5
: lacking brilliance or luster
6
: not ringing, sharp, or intense
a dull roar
7
8
: tedious, uninteresting
a dull lecture
9
: slightly grayish
a dull blue
dull
2 of 2 verb
: to make or become dull
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