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Lackluster may describe things that are dull, but the word itself is no yawn. In its earliest uses in the early 17th century, lackluster (also spelled lacklustre) usually described eyes that were dull or lacking in brightness, as in “a lackluster stare.” Later, it came to describe other things whose sheen had been removed; Charles Dickens, in his 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, writes of the faded image of the dragon on the sign outside a village alehouse: “many a wintry storm of rain, snow, sleet, and hail, had changed his colour from a gaudy blue to a faint lack-lustre shade of grey.” These days lackluster is broadly used to describe anything blah, from a spiritless sensation to a humdrum hump day.
Examples of lackluster in a Sentence
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Etienne was a bit lackluster in both return gigs last year, so maybe Dillon could be some competition on kickoffs.
—Mike Kaye
updated May 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 2026
Seems like the Dolphins can reinsert that route — which Tua Tagovailoa and his lackluster arm struggled with most of his career — back into the offense’s playbook.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026
Rising rates and high energy prices can hurt consumer spending and slow the economy ( Home Depot’s lackluster results are a good example of this), hence the buying Tuesday of defensive, non-cyclical names like healthcare.
—Jeff Marks,paulina Likos, CNBC, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lackluster
Cite this Entry
“Lackluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lackluster. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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lackluster
adjective
