HyperDic: dull

English > 19 senses of the word dull:
ADJECTIVEalldulllacking in liveliness or animation
alldullemitting or reflecting very little light
alldull, muffled, muted, softenedbeing or made softer or less loud or clear
alldull, boring, deadening, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisomeso lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
alldull(of color) very low in saturation
alldullnot keenly felt
alldull, dense, dim, dumb, obtuse, slowslow to learn or understand
alldull, slow, sluggish(of business) not active or brisk
alldullnot having a sharp edge or point
alldullblunted in responsiveness or sensibility
alldull, thuddingnot clear and resonant
alldull, leadendarkened with overcast
VERBcontactdullmake dull in appearance
changedullbecome dull or lusterless in appearance
perceptiondull, muffle, mute, damp, dampen, tone downdeaden (a sound or noise) , especially by wrapping
perceptiondull, numb, benumb, bluntmake numb or insensitive
contactdull, bluntmake dull or blunt
changedull, pallbecome less interesting or attractive
changedullmake less lively or vigorous
dull > pronunciation
Soundsdah'l
Rhymesabdominal ... zoological: 2115 rhymes with ahl...
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 1
Meaninglacking in liveliness or animation.
Examples
  • "he was so dull at parties"
  • "a dull political campaign"
  • "a large dull impassive man"
  • "dull days with nothing to do"
  • "how dull and dreary the world is"
  • "fell back into one of her dull moods"
Attribute ofdullnessThe quality of lacking interestingness
Narrowerarid, desiccate, desiccatedlacking vitality or spirit
bovinedull and slow-moving and stolid
drab, drearylacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
heavy, leadenlacking lightness or liveliness
humdrum, monotonoustediously repetitious or lacking in variety
lackluster, lacklustre, lusterless, lustrelesslacking brilliance or vitality
See alsocolorless, colourlesslacking in variety and interest
spiritlesslacking ardor or vigor or energy
unanimatednot animated or enlivened
Oppositelivelyfull of life and energy
Spanishapagado, soso
Nounsdullnessthe quality of lacking interestingness
Adverbsdullywithout liveliness
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 2
Meaningemitting or reflecting very little light.
Examples
  • "a dull glow"
  • "dull silver badly in need of a polish"
  • "a dull sky"
Attribute ofluminosity, brightness, brightness level, luminance, luminousness, lightThe quality of being luminous
Narrowerflat, mat, matt, matte, mattednot reflecting light
lackluster, lacklustre, lusterless, lustrelesslacking luster or shine
soft, subduednot brilliant or glaring
See alsounpolishednot carefully reworked or perfected or made smooth by polishing
Oppositebrightemitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
Spanishapagado
Catalanapagat
Nounsdullnessa lack of visual brightness
Adverbsdullywithout luster or shine
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 3
MeaningBeing or made softer or less loud or clear.
Example"the dull boom of distant breaking waves"
Synonymsmuffled, muted, softened
Broadersoft(of sound) relatively low in volume
Spanishapagado, sordo
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 4
MeaningSo lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.
Examples
  • "a dull play"
  • "his competent but dull performance"
Synonymsboring, deadening, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisome
BroaderuninterestingArousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement
Spanishaburrido, agobiante, cargante, gris, latoso, monótono, pesado, tedioso
Catalanavorrit, carregós, empipador, gris, molest, monòton, pesat, tediós
Nounsdullnessthe quality of lacking interestingness
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 5
Meaning(of color) very low in saturation; highly diluted.
Example"dull greens and blues"
Broaderunsaturated(of color) not chromatically pure
Nounsdullnessa lack of visual brightness
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 6
Meaningnot keenly felt.
Examples
  • "a dull throbbing"
  • "dull pain"
Narrowerdeadenedmade or become less intense
Oppositesharpkeenly and painfully felt
Nounsdullnesslack of sensibility
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 7
MeaningSlow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity.
Example "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray
Synonymsdense, dim, dumb, obtuse, slow
Broaderstupidlacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
Spanishcorto, estúpido, lento, obtuso, pasmado, tonto, torpe
Catalanaturat, curt, estúpid, gamarús, lent, obtús, pallús
Nounsdullnessthe quality of being slow to understand
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 8
Meaning(of business) not active or brisk.
Example"business is dull (or slow)"
Synonymsslow, sluggish
Categorycommercial enterprise, business enterprise, businessThe activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects
Broaderinactivelacking activity
Spanishapagado, apocado, lento
Catalanapagat, apocat
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 9
Meaningnot having a sharp edge or point.
Example"the knife was too dull to be of any use"
NarrowerbluntUsed of a knife or other blade
blunted, dulledmade dull or blunt
edgelesslacking a cutting edge
unsharpenednot sharpened / sharpened
OppositesharpHaving or made by a thin edge or sharp point
Spanishdesafilado, embotado, romo, sordo
Catalanrom, sord
Nounsdullnesswithout sharpness or clearness of edge or point
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 10
Meaningblunted in responsiveness or sensibility.
Examples
  • "a dull gaze"
  • "so exhausted she was dull to what went on about her"- Willa Cather
BroaderinsensitiveDeficient in human sensibility
Nounsdullnesslack of sensibility
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 11
Meaningnot clear and resonant; sounding as if striking with or against something relatively soft.
Example"the dull thud"
Synonymthudding
Broaderunreverberant, nonresonantnot reverberant
English > dull: 19 senses > adjective 12
Meaningdarkened with overcast.
Example "a dull sky"
Synonymleaden
BroadercloudyFull of or covered with clouds
Spanishgris, pesado, plomizo, taciturno
Catalangris, pesat, plomís, taciturn
Nounsdullnessa lack of visual brightness
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 1, contact
Meaningmake dull in appearance.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Example"Age had dulled the surface"
Broaderchange, alter, modifyCause to change
Spanisharromar, deslucir, deslustrar
Catalandeslluir, esmussar
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 2, change
MeaningBecome dull or lusterless in appearance; lose shine or brightness.
PatternSomething ----s
Example"the varnished table top dulled with time"
BroaderchangeUndergo a change
Spanishamortiguar
Catalanapagar, desllustrar
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 3, perception
Meaningdeaden (a sound or noise) , especially by wrapping.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Synonymsmuffle, mute, damp, dampen, tone down
Broadersoftenmake (images or sounds) soft or softer
Spanishamortiguar, arromar, despuntar
Catalandeslluir-se, deslluir, despuntar, esmussar, espuntar, romejar, trencar-se
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 4, perception
Meaningmake numb or insensitive.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody; Something ----s somebody
Synonymsnumb, benumb, blunt
Broaderdesensitize, desensitiseCause not to be sensitive
Spanishadormecer
Catalanadormir
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 5, contact
Meaningmake dull or blunt.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Example"Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge"
Synonymblunt
Broaderchange, alter, modifyCause to change
Oppositesharpenmake sharp / sharp / sharp / sharp or sharper / sharper / sharper / sharper
Spanisharromar, desafilar, deslucir, despuntar, embotarse, embotar
Catalandespuntar, esmussar-se, esmussar, espuntar, romejar
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 6, change
MeaningBecome less interesting or attractive.
PatternSomething ----s
Synonympall
BroaderchangeUndergo a change
Nounsdullarda person who evokes boredom
English > dull: 19 senses > verb 7, change
Meaningmake less lively or vigorous.
PatternSomebody ----s something; Something ----s something
Example"Middle age dulled her appetite for travel"
Narrowercloudmake milky or dull
BroaderweakenBecome weaker
Spanishatemperar
Catalanmoderar, temperar

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