lull

1 of 2

verb

lulled; lulling; lulls

transitive verb

1
: to cause to sleep or rest : soothe
He was lulled to sleep by her soothing voice.
2
: to cause to relax vigilance
were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2

noun

1
: a temporary pause or decline in activity
the early-morning lull in urban noise
: such as
a
: a temporary drop in business activity
b
: a temporary calm before or during a storm
2
archaic : something that lulls
especially : lullaby

Examples of lull in a Sentence

Verb The music lulled him to sleep. the absence of attacks for such an extended period had lulled the nation into a false sense of security Noun we took the opportunity of a lull in the conversation to announce that we were engaged to be married
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Or, book a post-surf stretch massage in an oceanside cabana so hearing the crescendo of North Shore waves can lull you into relaxation. Brittany Anas, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Tucson Sunnyside Blue Devils, 18-0-1 They can't be lulled into a false sense of security after the 12-1 win over Marana this week. Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024 Her voice, which often features in her work, had a low, lulling timbre; Jonas, who’s barely five feet tall, has a stillness about her that sometimes reads as wary, sometimes as highly controlled. Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Each private hut gives views over the endless ocean and, as darkness falls, you are lulled into a hypnotic state just by watching the waves gently folding into each other in the half-light. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Part of this is set up, lulling the audience for the shocks to come. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024 For a couple of years there, I had been lulled into mechanically hitting the highest-percentage tipping option whenever a machine asked. David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 Thirdly, a user is gradually and silently lulled into believing that the generative AI is flawless. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 As the child drifts off to sleep, little ones listening along will be lulled into quiet time, too. Wendy Dunn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
Noun
But at a certain point, often around 1 in the morning, comes a lull in the marathon. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 National Democrats for years have struggled to define their agenda, swinging unpredictably between the fevers of Bernie Sanders’ socialist-sympathizing campaigns and the lulls of Pete Buttigeig’s technocratic lesson that surprisingly carried him to victory in Iowa’s 2020 caucuses. TIME, 16 Feb. 2024 Currently, Kinmen is already facing a lull in tourists due to the foggy season. Eric Cheung, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Big fella on the rise Stuck in one of their longest scoring lulls of the season Saturday, the Bruins got an unlikely lift from a player averaging 3.3 points. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 After weeks of a box office lull, moviegoers returned to theaters for President’s Day weekend, just in time to catch Kingsley Ben-Adir as reggae icon Bob Marley in a new musical biopic. Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2024 And if that’s the case, well, Arizona would hardly be the first team to experience a midseason lull. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2024 Aid groups worry the U.S. designation could jeopardize the current lull in fighting and could prompt other nations to impose their own restrictions. Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2024 So many of the people involved with the movie said there was this lull, essentially. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English; probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of lull was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lull

Cite this Entry

“Lull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lull. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lull

1 of 2 verb
1
: to cause to sleep or rest
2
: to cause to relax vigilance
were lulled into a false sense of security

lull

2 of 2 noun
1
: a temporary calm before or during a storm
2
: a temporary drop in activity

More from Merriam-Webster on lull

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