dulldull1 /dʌl/ ●●○ S3 adjective (comparative duller, superlative dullest) 
Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here. a dull movie It sounded pretty dull to me. The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (=very dull). Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (=it’s always interesting or exciting).► see thesaurus at boringRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say boring rather than dull:· a long, boring film2colour/light not bright or shiny: The bird is dull brown and gray in colour. Her eyes were dull with dark shadows beneath them. the dull afternoon light3weather not bright and with lots of clouds: Outside the weather was hazy and dull. a dull sky4pain a dull pain is not severe but does not stop OPP sharp: a dull ache in her lower back The pain was dull but persistent.5sound not clear or loud: The gates shut with a dull thud.6knife/blade not sharp SYN blunt7not intelligent old-fashioned not able to think quickly or understand things easily SYN stupid: If you don’t understand then you’re duller than I thought.8trade if business on the Stock Exchange is dull, few people are buying and selling OPP brisk—dully adverb: ‘Well Michael?’ he said dully. Her stomach ached dully.—dullness noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINdull1
Origin:
Old English dolEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a dull headache
- A dull opening Wednesday on Wall Street kept stock prices at low levels.
- a dull student
- Her hair was a dull, darkish brown.
- Here, use this knife - that one's dull.
- His head hit the floor with a dull thud.
- I'm afraid I must seem very dull compared with all those interesting people you meet.
- It will be dry but dull this morning, with the possibility of showers later in the day.
- Margaret has such a dull personality.
- Our neighbours are OK, I suppose, but they're so dull!
- They chose a red clay pot decorated with patterns in dull white paint.
- This kind of mindless work can become very dull very quickly.
- This place gets really dull at times.
- We spent a dull afternoon with some of Harold's business associates.
- When a plant changes color from bright green to dull gray-green, it needs water.
- A dull look in his eyes.
- A clean site that people can find their way around easily will always beat one that's complicated, dull or fussy.
- And their dull appearance is often accompanied by teaching methods that consist mostly of scribbling graphs on a blackboard.
- Any animal species that happens to be superficially dull will be ignored, perhaps even maltreated.
- I hate all ordinary dull little people who aren't ashamed of being dull and little.
- My job is dull and boring.
- We are not employed just for work - dull, boring, monotonous work.
- Without the light from the screen, the condo room seems as dull and impersonal as a room in a Holiday Inn.
THESAURUS
not interesting in any way: · a boring speech· He found school incredibly boring.
[not before noun] very ordinary and therefore rather boring. People often use this phrase in everyday English, instead of saying directly that something is boring: · The story wasn’t very interesting.
especially written boring: · The conference was usually a dull affair.· Life was never dull.
very boring and continuing for a long time: · The process was tedious and slow.· Jake began the tedious task of sorting through his papers.
boring and always the same: · The work was monotonous and unchallenging.· He was only half listening to the monotonous voice of the teacher.
rather boring, because it is connected with things you do regularly as part of your daily life: · He busied himself with the mundane task of cleaning the house.· Most arguments are over mundane issues like spending or saving money.
[usually before noun] boring because nothing new or interesting ever happens: · He wanted to escape his humdrum life.· a humdrum existence
a subject, piece of writing etc that is dry is boring because it is very serious and does not contain any humour: · The students complained that the lecture was dry and uninspiring.· a dry academic volume
a quiet sound or voice not making a loud sound: · I heard a quiet voice behind me.· a car with a quiet engine
quiet – especially because you do not want people to hear or be disturbed: · Doug was on the phone, speaking in a low voice.· I turned the volume down low.
quiet and pleasant to listen to: · Soft music was playing in the background.· His voice was soft and gentle.
not making any sound at all: · a silent prayer· silent laughter· The machines were virtually silent.
deliberately quiet because you do not want people to hear – used about people’s voices: · They were talking about money in hushed tones.· The doctor’s voice was hushed and urgent.
quiet and difficult to hear because it comes from a long way away: · The men went ahead and their voices got fainter and fainter.· the faint sound of bells
difficult to hear, for example because the sound comes from another room or someone’s mouth is covered by something: · Muffled voices were coming from downstairs.· the muffled sound of someone crying
[only before noun] a dull sound is not loud – used especially about the sound of something hitting another thing: · He hit the ground with a dull thud.
too quiet to hear: · The sound is inaudible to the human ear.· Her answer came in an almost inaudible whisper.
Longman Language Activatorjobs/books/films/activities etc something that is boring is not interesting in any way and makes you feel tired and annoyed: · I don't want some boring job in an office!· a long boring lecture on economic planning· What a boring way to spend an evening!· Most people who see a baseball game for the first time think it's pretty boring.
especially spoken very ordinary and not really interesting or enjoyable: · Did you watch that TV show about Prince Charles? It wasn't very interesting, was it?· There was nothing very interesting in the local newspaper - just the usual stuff.
especially written boring because nothing different, interesting, or exciting happens: · We spent a dull afternoon with some of Harold's business associates.· This kind of mindless work can become very dull very quickly.
something that is monotonous is boring because it always continues in the same way and it never changes: · Life on the farm was slow and monotonous.· The teacher's low monotonous voice almost put me to sleep.
something that is tedious is boring and tiring because it continues for too long: · It was one of the most tedious plays I've ever had to sit through.· Doing all those calculations without a computer would be extremely tedious.
stories, books, remarks etc that are banal , are ordinary and uninteresting, especially because they do not contain anything new, exciting, or original: · It was just another banal newspaper story.· I was expecting an interesting interview but he only asked a few banal questions about the weather.
a job, event, or activity that is mundane is boring and ordinary and gives you very little pleasure, especially because you do it every day: · The play is about the mundane existence of factory workers.· My initial job was pretty mundane, but later I was given more responsibility.
if something such as a job, speech, or a piece of writing or music is repetitive , it is boring because parts of it keep repeating again and again: · As children we suffered through schoolwork that was dull and repetitive.· He has some good ideas, but his lectures can get a little repetitive.
something that is uninspiring has nothing exciting or new about it, and makes you feel bored: · The restaurant's dessert selection was somewhat uninspiring.· Both candidates turned in uninspiring performances in last night's debate.
: humdrum existence/life/job one in which nothing interesting or exciting ever happens and nothing changes: · Occasional holidays abroad were the only things that brightened up her otherwise humdrum life.· Going to night school might improve your chances of getting out of that humdrum job.
especially British a job or an experience that is soul-destroying is extremely boring and makes you very unhappy because you feel that you are a useless person and your life has no meaning: · They spend all day sticking paper labels on toy cars - it's soul-destroying.· Going to the unemployment office and having to wait there for hours is a soul-destroying experience.
British informal /put you to sleep American informal if a speech, performance etc sends or puts you to sleep , it is extremely boring so you completely stop paying attention to it and want to sleep: · All his talk about his financial problems just sends me to sleep.· Isn't there anything else to watch? This movie's putting me to sleep.
person someone who is boring never says or does anything interesting: · He's so boring - all he ever talks about is football.· The professor was so boring, hardly anyone came to class.· Pam's parents are nice, but they're very boring.
someone who is dull is not unpleasant, but their life and their conversation is never interesting or exciting.: · Our neighbours are OK, I suppose, but they're so dull!· I'm afraid I must seem very dull compared with all those interesting people you meet.
a boring person who talks too much about themselves and about the things that they are interested in: · At parties she always gets stuck with some bore who wants to tell her the story of his life.
not shiny a colour or surface that is dull is not bright or shiny: · Her hair was a dull, darkish brown.· They chose a red clay pot decorated with patterns in dull white paint.
also matte American: matt surface/paint/finish etc a matt surface is designed not to be shiny - use this about paint, skin, surfaces etc that you do not want to be shiny: · Do you want matt paint or gloss paint?· When you drop off the photos, be sure to request matte finish.
no longer shiny - use this about bright metals such as silver: · He wore a tarnished watch chain across his waistcoat. · You shouldn't let the silverware get so tarnished.
cloudy if the weather is cloudy , there are a lot of clouds in the sky: · You can still get sunburnt on a cloudy day.
if the weather is dull , it is cloudy and there is no sunshine: · It will be dry but dull this morning, with the possibility of showers later in the day.
also gray American especially written cloudy and not at all bright: · It was a grey winter morning.
if the sky is overcast , it is very cloudy and dark, and there will probably be rain: · The sky was overcast, and a light rain began to fall.
a white or grey mass in the sky that rain falls from: · There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.thick/dense cloud: · Dense cloud prevented the rescue helicopter from taking off.
thick cloudy air near the ground that is very difficult to see through: the fog: · I could just make out a dim figure coming towards me in the fog.patch of fog: · Watch out for patches of fog in low-lying areas.thick/dense fog: · Dense fog is making driving conditions difficult on many roads.the fog lifts/clears (=it goes away): · The fog has almost cleared - our plane will be able to take off soon
wet light cloud near the ground, which is difficult to see through clearly: · A light mist lay in the valley.· The mist along the river banks had gone by mid-morning.shrouded/veiled in mist (=be covered in mist): · From Primrose Hill, London looked like a ruined city shrouded in mist.
WORD SETSamber, nounamethyst, nounapricot, nounaquamarine, nounashen, adjectiveauburn, adjectiveazure, adjectivebar, nounbarred, adjectivebeige, nounblack, adjectiveblack, nounblack, verbblack and white, adjectiveblacken, verbbleed, verbblood-red, adjectiveblue, adjectiveblue, nounbluish, adjectivebold, adjectivebottle green, nounbrassy, adjectivebrindled, adjectivebronze, nounbronze, adjectivebrown, adjectivebrown, nounbuff, nounburgundy, nouncarmine, nouncarroty, adjectivecerise, nouncerulean, nounchartreuse, nouncherry, nounchestnut, nounchestnut, adjectivechromatic, adjectivechrome yellow, nounclaret, nounclear, adjectivecoffee, nouncool, adjectivecopper, nouncoral, adjectivecream, adjectivecreamy, adjectivecrimson, adjectivecyan, adjectivedappled, adjectivedapple-grey, nounDay-Glo, adjectivediscoloration, noundiscolour, verbdrab, adjectivedull, adjectivedun, noundusky, adjectivedye, verbebony, adjectivefawn, adjectiveflaxen, adjectiveflesh-coloured, adjectiveflorid, adjectivefluorescent, adjectiveflush, nounfuchsia, noungarish, adjectivegarnet, noungaudy, adjectivegay, adjectiveginger, adjectivegold, noungold, adjectivegolden, adjectivegray, green, adjectivegreen, noungreenish, adjectivegrey, adjectivegrey, noungreyish, adjectivehazel, adjectiveindigo, nouniridescent, adjectiveivory, nounjade, nounjet-black, adjectivekhaki, nounlavender, nounleaden, adjectivelemon, nounlilac, nounlily-white, adjectivelime green, nounlivid, adjectiveloud, adjectiveluminous, adjectivelurid, adjectivemagenta, nounmagnolia, nounmahogany, nounmaroon, nounmatch, nounmauve, nounmellow, adjectivemellow, verbmonochrome, adjectivemousy, adjectivemuddy, adjectivemulticoloured, adjectivemustard, nounmuted, adjectivenavy blue, adjectiveneutral, adjectiveochre, nounoff-white, nounolive, nounopalescent, adjectiveorange, nounpale, adjectivepastel, nounpastel, adjectivepeach, nounpea green, nounpearly, adjectivepepper-and-salt, adjectivepink, adjectivepink, nounpinkish, adjectiveplum, nounplum, adjectivepowder blue, nounprimary colour, nounprimrose, nounprismatic, adjectivepuce, adjectivepure, adjectivepurple, nounpurplish, adjectivered, adjectivered, nounredden, verbreddish, adjectiveredhead, nounrestrained, adjectiverich, adjectiverose, nounrose, adjectiveroseate, adjectiverose-coloured, adjectiverosy, adjectiveroyal blue, nounruby, nounruddy, adjectiverusset, nounsable, adjectivesaffron, nounscarlet, adjectivesepia, nounshade, nounshocking pink, nounsienna, nounsilver, nounsilver, adjectivesilvery, adjectivesky-blue, adjectivesnow-white, adjectivesnowy, adjectivesoft, adjectivesombre, adjectivesteely, adjectivetaupe, nountawny, adjectiveteal, nountint, nountint, verbtone, nounturquoise, nountwo-tone, adjectiveultramarine, nounumber, nounvermilion, nounvibrant, adjectiveviolet, nounwarm, adjectivewaxen, adjectiveweak, adjectivewhite, adjectivewhite, nounwhiten, verbwhitish, adjectiveyellow, adjectiveyellow, nounyellow, verbyellowy, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here. The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (=very dull). Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (=it’s always interesting or exciting). a dull ache in her lower back The gates shut with a dull thud.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES A dull ache throbbed at the back of David’s head. There was a dull thud as the box hit the floor.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here. The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (=very dull). Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (=it’s always interesting or exciting). a dull ache in her lower back The gates shut with a dull thud. A dull ache throbbed at the back of David’s head.· I was overjoyed at the prospect of leaving my routine existence behind.
(=not shiny)· a shampoo for dull hair
(=something is always exciting or full of activity)· There’s never a dull moment with Chris around!
(=a slight but continuous pain)· There was a dull pain in his lower jaw.
(=with clouds)· Cloudy skies were forecast.
There was a dull thud as the box hit the floor.· It was as dull as the overcast sky.· Without the light from the screen, the condo room seems as dull and impersonal as a room in a Holiday Inn.· Today her eyes were as dull as a puddle.· The flat, oblong tin was full of chunky rings, as dull as lead but interestingly shaped and bevelled.· Such students may seem to lack initiative and may even be dismissed as dull.· The bald dome of a head emerged first, cast by the moonlight as dull ivory.
· And life there is never dull.· They were not perfect, but they were never dull, either.· But life is never dull when she is around.· There was one church in Malvern, however, where things were never dull.· Whether one agreed with his view of a work or not, Bernstein was never dull.· It is never dull or static.· Life's never dull when Ronny's around.
· Resorts that are glorious in mid-summer can be bleak and damp in winter as well as pretty dull when the tourist season is over.· No, most arbitrations are pretty dull, transfer of bargaining-unit work, etc.· Good plan-except the result is a pretty dull confection for anyone but ardent Depp and praline fans.· Real detective work can be pretty dull.· Early levels are pretty dull, but as they get littered with more traps and obstacles, things get more interesting.· The sports page was pretty dull.· It looked pretty dull to me, although I did not say so.· And, for all the appeal of his singing and playing, Paul Hipp comes out pretty dull between the numbers.
· In reality, one finds people reading newspapers, knitting and drinking cups of tea, but this constitutes rather dull television.· The Pierce and Pierce bond department had consisted of only twenty souls, twenty rather dull souls known as the Bond Bores.· No definite shape, rather dull colour.· It is a reputable if rather dull book, but Lord Derby was a dull man.· They make a thing of this strong-box business, but ours mostly has rather dull securities and family papers in it.· Certainly the resulting curriculum looks rather dull compared with the initial considerations which offered the possibility of a refreshing new view.· For wholefood enthusiasts, I would recommend buckwheat pasta rather than wholemeal, which I think is rather dull in flavour and texture.· Smooth and polished, but rather dull.
· Small wonder the back benches look so dull.· Apollo said that he was merely giving to ears so dull and dense the proper shape.· Their food is so dull and poor that they will be ill when the bad weather comes.· I wonder how Bob can be so dull on the surface and have such interesting friends.· It seemed so dull by comparison.· It is a humdrum enough explanation which goes some way to explaining why most public appointments are so dull.· The question is, how did these guys manage to make so many beautiful women look so dull?
· This week, Ali G lookalike Gavin Burtenshaw hit the headlines for reasons too dull to mention.· Now he was dead, it would be too dangerous and too dull.· In summary, this: that men were either too dull or too pointed with nothing in between.
· This sounds very dull, but it isn't.· They just seemed very ordinary and very dull and boring people.· The office at Felixstowe seemed a very dull and prosaic place after those hectic nine months.· After the first thrill of novelty wears off, the Internet can be a very dull place.· The former were usually lively and interesting; the latter, almost equally likely to be very dull indeed.· The palette will guide you towards a wide range of violets from the very dull to the bright.· Her own visit to the cinema with an inarticulate young man from the West of Ireland seemed very dull by comparison.· They liked to name places after very dull Victorians.
NOUN· The pain in her lower back subsided leaving a dull ache.· I am feeling much better, though there are many times when I feel a dull ache.· Sleep away the tiredness and the dull ache inside his head, that was the thing to do.· They felt nothing but a dull ache in their backs.· It ached an ugly, dull ache.· It starts as a dull ache that gradually evolves into a severe throbbing pain, centering in the frontal and temporal regions.· It wasn't really very bad but it was a dull ache that made her realise she would never get to sleep.· It seemed that here, there was never any spring, only wind and rain and the dull ache of loss.
· With or without heart trouble, Shelby wasn't a man to settle for a dull life.
· And, you know, there isn't one dull moment in the entire opera!· But how many dull moments may I have given my listeners?· Never a dull moment in this establishment.· There was seldom a dull moment in our house.· There was certainly never a dull moment in our section of the Waafery.· Never a dull moment, sitting around Fif's.· Even the most interesting of jobs will have its fair share of dull moments, for there is drudgery in every job.· There's never a dull moment at Ballytreabhair.
· There was a dull pain in his left biceps - Tessa's head was pillowed on it.· There are days when I scarcely remember the injury, other days when I feel drained by a constant dull pain.· His stomach contracted and dull pain in his empty lungs spread.· He didn't bother to report the headache to the medical officer, considering the dull pain only a minor discomfort.
· As he moved along the rows of guns, his wooden leg sounded dull thuds.· The gunshots were no longer dull thuds echoing off the hill but reports, punctuated by the snapping of triggers.· There were dull thuds from the cargo hold.· Another dull thud behind his left knee.· The gates shut behind him with a dull thud and the sound of the wind died away.· Plastic produces a dull thud, while glass gives a high-pitched clink.· Almost immediately there was a dull thud as it fell on the floor.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► as dull as ditchwater► all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy)
1boring not interesting or exciting: - And at a time which - surely it was obvious - was deadly serious.
- He's a deadly dull little man as far as I can see.
- He was deadly serious and I knew it.
- His companion chuckled at the jest, but Gravelet, whose stage name was Blondin, was deadly serious.
- It was now clear, however, that the position was becoming deadly serious.
- Suppose, for example, you regularly attend a weekly meeting which tends to be deadly dull.
- The noise level was high in both languages; all faces were deadly serious.
- The primary indicator is Attempts to be deadly serious invariably result in unintended comedy.
Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here. a dull movie It sounded pretty dull to me. The weekly meeting tends to be deadly dull (=very dull). Last week we had a hurricane. Never a dull moment running a hotel in the Caribbean (=it’s always interesting or exciting).► see thesaurus at boringRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say boring rather than dull:· a long, boring film2colour/light not bright or shiny: The bird is dull brown and gray in colour. Her eyes were dull with dark shadows beneath them. the dull afternoon light3weather not bright and with lots of clouds: Outside the weather was hazy and dull. a dull sky4pain a dull pain is not severe but does not stop OPP sharp: a dull ache in her lower back The pain was dull but persistent.5sound not clear or loud: The gates shut with a dull thud.6knife/blade not sharp SYN blunt7not intelligent old-fashioned not able to think quickly or understand things easily SYN stupid: If you don’t understand then you’re duller than I thought.8trade if business on the Stock Exchange is dull, few people are buying and selling OPP brisk—dully adverb: ‘Well Michael?’ he said dully. Her stomach ached dully.—dullness noun [uncountable]