Dull
/dʌl/
adjectiveverbA2
Definition
Dull describes something that is not bright or shiny, or something that is boring and not exciting. It can also mean not sharp, like a knife that cannot cut well. People use dull to talk about colors, sounds, feelings, or objects that do not have much energy or life.
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⚡ See It in Action
Not bright or shiny; low in color or light
- •The sky was dull and gray before the rain.
- •She wore a dull blue dress that did not stand out.
- •The metal had a dull surface after being outside for a long time.
Boring or not interesting
- •The lecture was dull, and many students fell asleep.
- •He found the movie dull and left early.
- •The conversation became dull after a while.
Not sharp; blunt
- •The knife is dull and cannot cut the vegetables well.
- •Be careful with that dull pencil; it doesn’t write clearly.
(verb) To make something less sharp or less bright
- •The rain dulled the colors of the flowers.
- •Constant noise dulled her hearing over time.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "dull" like "boring" (A1 word), but it can also mean "not bright" or "not sharp" for things like colors or knives
- ✓Picture a cloudy, gray day with no sun—that is dull light and dull colors
- ✓It's the feeling you get when a class or movie is not fun and makes you sleepy
- ✓Sounds like "dull" → imagine a drum that makes a low, soft sound without energy or excitement
- ✓Think of a knife that cannot cut bread well because its edge is dull (not sharp)
- ✓NOT like "bright" (full of light or color), dull means low light or weak color
- ✓NOT like "sharp" (clear, strong edge or sound), dull means weak or soft
- ✓NOT like "exciting" (makes you happy or interested), dull means boring or tired
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Boring: not interesting (Use when talking about feelings or activities that make you tired or sleepy)
- •Blunt: not sharp (Use when talking about knives or tools that cannot cut well)
- •Faded: not bright or clear (Use when talking about colors or light that have lost brightness)
- •Drab: dull and without color (Use when describing clothes or places that look plain and not bright)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: No prefix or suffix; a simple root word "dull"
- •Etymology: From Old English "dull" meaning slow or stupid, later also meaning not sharp or bright
- •Historical development: The word has kept its basic meaning of "not sharp" or "not bright" since early English times; later it also came to mean boring or not interesting
- •Modern usage: Used to describe objects, colors, feelings, and situations that lack brightness, sharpness, or excitement
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can something be dull but still useful or important? How would you explain that?
•How does the meaning of dull change when used for objects compared to feelings or situations?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The knife was dull because it had not been ___ for a long time.
2.When the sky is dull, it usually means there is no ___ or sunlight.
3.The movie was dull, so the audience felt ___ and uninterested.
4.She tried to paint bright colors, but the rain dulled the ___ of the paint.
5.A dull sound is ___ and soft, not loud or clear.
6.After hours of listening to the same story, the conversation became dull and ___.
7.If a pencil is dull, it will not write ___ on the paper.