Synonyms for
Dull
Definition
lacking interest or excitement; boring
Synonyms & similar words
dampen
slow
thudding
bright
boring
tedious
hohum
numb
sharpen
leaden
blunt
lively
sluggish
mute
irksome
obtuse
pall
damp
dense
dim
softened
wearisome
deadening
muted
tiresome
boring
tedious
uninteresting
monotonous
dreary
lifeless
unexciting
dullsville
humdrum
tiresome
wearisome
uninspired
unvaried
stale
flat
prosaic
drab
colorless
banal
vapid
Synonyms by register
Formal
Antonyms
Common collocations
- dull ache
- dull knife
- dull pain
- dull thud
- dull roar
- dull colors
- dull wit
Word family
Usage note
Can refer to a lack of sharpness (e.g., a dull knife) or a lack of interest or excitement (e.g., a dull day). Avoid using 'dull' to describe people's intelligence, as it can be considered offensive.
Compare "dull" with another word →
Example sentences
- The lecture was so dull, I fell asleep.
- The gray sky made the day seem dull.
- The pencil was dull and needed to be sharpened.
- The book was dull at the beginning but got more interesting later.
- The party was dull without any music.
Quotes
A mind too active is no less harmful than one that is dull. - Carl Jung
You don't realize how much you rely on your sense of hearing until it's taken away from you. Everything becomes flat, dull and muted. - Rachel Joyce
It is a dull sensation, your heart breaking, like the sound of a pebble dropping on the sand. Not a shattering, not a tearing apart, there is nothing shrill or grandiose about the sensation. It is merely an internal realization that something treasured you never knew you had is leaving forever. - Samantha Bruce-Benjamin