1
as in blunt
lacking sharpness of edge or point
the dull knife just bounced off the skin of the tomato without cutting it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
a dull dance recital that made us wish that we were someplace else
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3
as in hazy
covered over by clouds
dull skies plagued most of our vacation days at the beach
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4
as in matte
lacking a surface luster or gloss
a good polish should restore that car's dull finish
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
that canvas shirt should fade to an attractive, dull red over time
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6
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
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7
as in soft
not loud in pitch or volume
a dull roar from the distance
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8
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a dull market for luxury goods this holiday season
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1
as in to blunt
to reduce or weaken in strength or feeling
the aspirin dulled his headache and he was soon feeling better
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2
as in to bleach
to make white or lighter by removing color
the painting's once-vivid colors have been dulled by time
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dull
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Life without music can be pretty dull, and my speakers are my constant best friend.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Ahead, find Vogue’s top products for keeping the face radiant, smooth, and defiant to glow-dulling buildup and fuzz.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dull
Adjective
The climactic battle feels hasty in the moment, but dragging it out any longer — or worse, having to make everyone recite the usual vampire-killing rules — would have been duller than elevator music.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Life without music can be pretty dull, and my speakers are my constant best friend.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
Three years of inactivity at the deadline, and no TV for many, helped dull the senses of die-hard Bulls fans, who expect nothing from management and are seldom disappointed.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Ahead, find Vogue’s top products for keeping the face radiant, smooth, and defiant to glow-dulling buildup and fuzz.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dull
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dull
Adjective
-
Autopsy results revealed that Morin had endured 15 to 20 blows to the head and had died from a combination of strangulation and blunt force trauma.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Not to be blunt, but there’s really no good excuse to skip SPF application, regardless of your skin tone or skin type.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Camilla told Newsweek that her husband, Linford, 32, works as a tunnel boring machine operator in London.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Take it from this guy, who bought the beautiful Starfield limited-edition Xbox controller, headset, and console wrap for over $200, only to play the game and dump it after 20 boring hours.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The reasons for her travels—whether to marry a man at her father’s behest or to undertake a pilgrimage to Rome—are hazy.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
-
As part of my initiation into beer society, Hoey gave me seven beers to try, ranging from a deep stout to a hoppy hazy India pale ale.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This Lulus bag is primarily matte and clean, with just a tinge of silver on the top handle and cutesy bow.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
22 Feb. 2025
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To get this result, Dempsey recommends the Dior Addict Lip Tint for its transfer-proof, semi-matte finish.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Like Napoleon’s Uncle Rico, who dwells on his long-ago high-school-football days, Garrett is living in the faded aura of past glory: in his case, a 1989 video-game championship.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
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As thousands of migrants cycled through its faded lobby, the Roosevelt turned into a lightning rod in the country’s immigration debate: both as a reminder of the depth of the crisis and as shorthand for critics opposed to the expenditure of taxpayer money on migrants.—
Luis Ferré-Sadurní,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Making stupid internet fodder has never been easier than now, with the prevalence of AI image generators making everything from deepfakes to memes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
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Much like the stupid prions wreaking havoc in his brain.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The result is soft, luminous skin that’s also protected from a high UV index.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2025
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The frame is made from a soft velvet fabric that’s extremely comfortable to recline on.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In a video shared by A Dog's Hideaway, another golden called Butters was equally sleepy after hours of fun at day care.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Alice finds herself on the sleepy Little Crescent Island, hoping to interview mysterious heiress Margaret Ives.—
Maya Layne,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dull.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dull. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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