From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdulldull1 /dʌl/ ●●○ S3 adjective (comparative duller, superlative dullest) 1 boringBORING not interesting or exciting 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 film2 colour/lightCCBRIGHT 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 light3 weatherDN not bright and with lots of clouds Outside the weather was hazy and dull. a dull sky4 painMIPAIN 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.5 soundC not clear or loud The gates shut with a dull thud. 6 knife/bladeTZSHARP not sharp SYN blunt7 not intelligentSTUPID/NOT 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.8 tradeBFS 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]
Examples from the Corpus
dull• Our neighbours are OK, I suppose, but they're so dull!• Here, use this knife - that one's dull.• We spent a dull afternoon with some of Harold's business associates.• My job is dull and boring.• Without the light from the screen, the condo room seems as dull and impersonal as a room in a Holiday Inn.• And their dull appearance is often accompanied by teaching methods that consist mostly of scribbling graphs on a blackboard.• This place gets really dull at times.• We are not employed just for work - dull, boring, monotonous work.• I'm afraid I must seem very dull compared with all those interesting people you meet.• Her hair was a dull, darkish brown.• When a plant changes color from bright green to dull gray-green, it needs water.• a dull headache• I hate all ordinary dull little people who aren't ashamed of being dull and little.• A dull look in his eyes.• A dull opening Wednesday on Wall Street kept stock prices at low levels.• A clean site that people can find their way around easily will always beat one that's complicated, dull or fussy.• Margaret has such a dull personality.• a dull student• It will be dry but dull this morning, with the possibility of showers later in the day.• His head hit the floor with a dull thud.• This kind of mindless work can become very dull very quickly.• They chose a red clay pot decorated with patterns in dull white paint.• Any animal species that happens to be superficially dull will be ignored, perhaps even maltreated.deadly dull• Suppose, for example, you regularly attend a weekly meeting which tends to be deadly dull.• Life in a small village could be deadly dull, and Henry had been absolutely charming when he chose to be.• He's a deadly dull little man as far as I can see.• To return to the example of the deadly dull meeting.dull ache• I am feeling much better, though there are many times when I feel a dull ache.• It ached an ugly, dull ache.• The pain in her lower back subsided leaving a dull ache.• They felt nothing but a dull ache in their backs.• Sleep away the tiredness and the dull ache inside his head, that was the thing to do.• It seemed that here, there was never any spring, only wind and rain and the dull ache of loss.• 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.dull thud• As he moved along the rows of guns, his wooden leg sounded dull thuds.• The gates shut behind him with a dull thud and the sound of the wind died away.• Almost immediately there was a dull thud as it fell on the floor.• Another dull thud behind his left knee.• 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.• Plastic produces a dull thud, while glass gives a high-pitched clink.dulldull2 verb 1 REDUCE[transitive] to make something become less sharp or clear He drank some alcohol to dull the pain. Her fear and anxiety dulled her mind.2 [intransitive, transitive] to become less bright or loud, or to make something become less bright or loud His eyes dulled a little. The constant rain dulled all sound.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dull• But those wines give only momentary pleasure and thereafter the senses are dulled and the mind is clouded.• As soon as a leaf dries, it begins to dull, lacking the luminescence that one full of juices has.• Three times a day, he takes medication to dull the pain from back problems.• Finally, the sweetness of the moment dulled the pain of knowing I had just placed my most cherished customer in jeopardy.• It swirled amongst the convent buildings, dulling the spirit - even mine after such a riotous night.• The streets are clean, there's no smog to dull the sunshine, and the skyscrapers don't overpower.• On surveying the organizational ranks, they see only low morale, divisiveness, cynicism, and dulled thinking.eyes dulled• Could it be that Albert's eyes dulled a little?From Longman Business Dictionarydulldull /dʌl/ adjective journalism if business on a financial market is dull, not many people are buying or sellingShares closed lower in dull trading.Investors were busy moving in and out of two-year Treasury notes yesterday, providing a bit of excitement to an otherwise dull session.Origin dull1 Old English dol 