dull definition

1. make dull in appearance
• examples: Age had dulled the surface
2. become dull or lusterless in appearance; lose shine or brightness
• examples: the varnished table top dulled with time
3. make dull or blunt
• examples: Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge
4. make less lively or vigorous
• examples: Middle age dulled her appetite for travel
5. lacking in liveliness or animation
• examples: he was so dull at parties
• examples: a dull political campaign
• examples: a large dull impassive man
• examples: dull days with nothing to do
• examples: how dull and dreary the world is
• examples: fell back into one of her dull moods
6. emitting or reflecting very little light
• examples: a dull glow
• examples: dull silver badly in need of a polish
• examples: a dull sky
7. being or made softer or less loud or clear
• examples: the dull boom of distant breaking waves
• examples: muffled drums
• examples: the muffled noises of the street
• examples: muted trumpets
8. (of color) very low in saturation; highly diluted
• examples: dull greens and blues
9. not keenly felt
• examples: a dull throbbing
• examples: dull pain
10. (of business) not active or brisk
• examples: business is dull (or slow)
• examples: a sluggish market
11. not having a sharp edge or point
• examples: the knife was too dull to be of any use
12. blunted in responsiveness or sensibility; ; - Willa Cather
• examples: a dull gaze
• examples: so exhausted she was dull to what went on about her
13. not clear and resonant; sounding as if striking with or against something relatively soft
• examples: the dull thud
• examples: thudding bullets
14. darkened with overcast
• examples: a dark day
• examples: a dull sky
• examples: the sky was leaden and thick