leaden

adjective

ˈle-dᵊn How to pronounce leaden (audio)
Definition of leadennext
1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest a leaden performance of a classic American play that nearly put us to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gray
of the color gray the leaden sky made everything seem dark and depressing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of leaden On a rainy morning the vistas are wild and windswept, both sea and sky taking on leaden hues; on a sunny afternoon, the blue waves roll towards the land in hypnotic lines, merging into the sky. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026 But there was nothing overstuffed or leaden about Harth-Bedoya’s interpretation. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 22 Mar. 2026 His final line was fine, especially given the blowout nature of the victory, but his legs are clearly leaden at this point. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026 There are moments where the album’s tone skews leaden, where Shaw positions us right on the edge of despair. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leaden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaden
  1. boring
  2. gray
  3. slow
  4. silver
  5. weary
  6. dull
  7. tiring
  8. stupid
Adjective
  • Christian flat out tells Bryan to do anything else because the gown is so boring, but Bryan could not be more disinterested in his advice.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • Just a year ago, $100,000 was considered a relatively 'boring’ price for bitcoin.
    — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Promotional stills, tour visuals and social content have followed the same restrained palette of black, white and grey, with color largely absent from official imagery.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • On April 29, 2001, the duo was spotted in New York City’s Central Park wearing similar baseball caps and brown-and-gray outfits.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of gray
Adjective
  • The slow pace continued for a while, but eventually, Punk took down Rhodes with a leaping heel kick and tweaked his knee.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Long days were spent cleaning, drawing and waiting for customers during slow periods, all while mastering a craft that permanently alters another person’s body.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • The silver version, which comes with a renewable five-year visa, requires a $150,000 bank deposit, of which half can be used for a mandatory house purchase costing at least $150,000.
    — William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Her Louis Vuitton gown featured a shredded silver chainmail effect and leather detailing.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 31 July 2026
Definition of silver
Adjective
  • The latest data suggests that the path to relief for inflation-weary Americans remains uncertain.
    — Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • The impressive lift provided by the thick insoles effectively absorbs impact, so your legs don’t become weary after long hours of walking.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
Definition of weary
Adjective
  • While laminate has a protective coating that shields it from damage, using the wrong cleaning products will etch away at this top layer and dull its shine.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 31 July 2026
  • As the years go by, the hair shaft tends to thin out, resulting in strands that are more fragile, dull, and brittle.
    — Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 July 2026
Definition of dull
Adjective
  • Everything seems tiring and exhausting, especially the simplest, most mundane activities.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 26 July 2026
  • Clothing that handles part of the pulling and positioning could make mornings less tiring.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of tiring
Adjective
  • Parametric modeling, especially when weighted down with decades of AutoCAD’s stupid UI/UX choices, was even harder than programming.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • The simplest explanation is that Vance believes his voters are stupid.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

lead
leaden
leader
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leaden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaden. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on leaden

Nglish: Translation of leaden for Spanish 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All