How to Use dull in a Sentence

dull

1 of 2 adjective
Definition of dullnext
Synonyms for dullnext
  • For long daytime hours, the sky seemed draped in the dull gray garb of winter.
    — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
  • The dull, leaden blue of his lips was creeping to his cheeks.
    — Cathleen Calkins, Longreads, 23 Jan. 2024
  • There’s not a dull moment in her entire body of work, from the ’40s until the ’90s.
    — Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2024
  • Don’t be concerned that one faulty bulb will turn all the lights dull or dark.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2023
  • Your muscles might be tender to the touch, and the pain might feel dull, tight, and achy, Dr. Nazareth says.
    — Addison Aloian, Women's Health, 6 Mar. 2023
  • During the day, a dull light leaks through the cloudy glass of a 3-inch-wide by 3-foot-tall window.
    — Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
  • But that’s far preferable to the rest of the film, which is mind-numbingly dull.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
  • The radiator cloud filled the sky, at first just a dull red mist.
    — Karl Schroeder, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024
  • Look for melons that are dark in color and with a dull (not shiny) rind.
    — Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 16 July 2023
  • The melon will appear more dull rather than glossy green.
    — oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2023
  • One frog is a dull dirt brown with some lighter white patches near its mouth.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024
  • This dull and disposable film is a beast that needs to be put down.
    — Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 10 Aug. 2023
  • The leaves may appear shiny or dull and often are pointed at the tips.
    — Mike Hogan, The Enquirer, 28 May 2023
  • Look Straight Out of a Magazine For the record, kitchen storage doesn’t have to be dull.
    — Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2024
  • Don’t let dreary weather dull your style – these Rain Boots are here to save the day.
    — Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Behind her, the Polo Club gleamed the dull gleam of brass and mahogany, feather dusters and floor wax.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
  • As a Red Sox fan things have been pretty dull and dreary.
    — Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024
  • Its background looked more green than blue, and the rich red of Anne’s gown had faded to a dull reddish brown.
    — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
  • Shopping for coasters might not be the most thrilling, but these are anything but dull.
    — Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024
  • If the lime has fully hardened, looks dull, and/or feels light for its size, the pearls inside may have dried out.
    — Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 12 Jan. 2024
  • One inch of the coral’s light brown tips was bumpy with living polyps, while the rest was dull white, resembling a dead tree branch.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
  • More people cut themselves with dull knives rather than sharp ones.
    — Samantha Lande, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023
  • Furthermore, the work tends to be dull, repetitive, and stressful on the body.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 30 Dec. 2023
  • Sharpen a blade that’s dull (not damaged), using a file.
    — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 17 Mar. 2023
  • There’s never a dull week in District 9-5A, which seems to cause changes in the top of the boys 5A rankings every week at this point in the season.
    — Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Just keep in mind that they can get scratched and become dull if dirt or debris scuffs them, so keep your floors clean.
    — Stefanie Waldek, House Beautiful, 25 July 2023
  • As a pumpkin matures, the rind will lose its sheen and become dull or matte-like.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2023
  • There wasn’t a single dull moment in JVN’s garden tour.
    — Grace McCarty, SELF, 29 Sep. 2023
  • Soon the giant space rock, dull gray and weighing 250 pounds, punched the earth, burying itself in the soil of a local walking path.
    — Andrew Zaleski, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023
  • My dull fashion kept me safe from this scam (no honest person thinks my shoes are cool).
    — Sean McDonnell, cleveland, 12 July 2023
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dull

2 of 2 verb
  • She takes medicine to dull the pain.
  • The knife was dulled from use.
  • Special earplugs dulled the sound of the chain saw.
  • The dog's eyes dulled as he got sick.
  • His hair dulled as he aged.
  • The blade should be replaced as soon as it dulls.
  • Fog dulled the morning sunlight.
  • Fear dulled his need for adventure.
  • It can be used to dull aches and pains and tame a fever.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2023
  • Shapeless sweats and Nikes that have dulled to the shade of don’t-care.
    — Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2023
  • Rusting dulls the blade and reduces the lifespan of the knife.
    — Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2023
  • On the flip side, the wrong glass can dull a stellar wine’s brilliance.
    — Susan Choung, Good Housekeeping, 15 Aug. 2023
  • But exposure to the roaring U.K. and the EMs may help dull the pain.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2021
  • My mom planned to stay at the hotel bar and dull her nerves with raki.
    — Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
  • Sergei Bobrovsky made back-to-back saves at one end of the rink, dulling the home crowd waiting to erupt.
    — Stephen Whyno, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Users built up a tolerance to the drugs and needed more and more to dull their pain — or achieve their high.
    — Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2023
  • The pain didn’t subside after a few days, though, and the color of her hand began to dull.
    — Mayukh Sen, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2021
  • Box clutches are quite classic, but that doesn’t equate to dull.
    — Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2022
  • Enlarge / Even 24 hours of race grime couldn't dull the livery of the LMP2 winning car.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2022
  • But in a new preview of the film, a villainous laugh threatens to dull her light and drown out her voice.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2022
  • What to do: Hitting dirt, gravel, sticks or even just big piles of leaves can dull your blades.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 11 July 2023
  • The Niners at least dulled the pain by finding Purdy with the 262nd and final pick last year.
    — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023
  • Dark gray lenses, although great on the beach on a sunny day, can dull out the features of the road, field, court, or trails.
    — Rozalynn S. Frazier, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2023
  • But sesquiterpenes can turn off that switch and dull the sensation of cold.
    — Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Dec. 2020
  • Rising theft—and stores’ measures to prevent it—could dull that edge.
    — Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 23 Dec. 2022
  • The song starts with a collection of strings, which can usually dull the mood.
    — Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 24 Feb. 2022
  • Opt for a shorts and tank set—because even warm weather can’t dull your festive shine.
    — Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 18 Oct. 2023
  • The Premier League, though, has commanded that the club dull the edge of that secret weapon, just a little.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023
  • It’s the perfect bleary-eyed watch, and not just because that helps dull the sight of Emily’s bright outfits.
    — Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2021
  • The result can be a buildup of rust on the blade that can dull the edge, weaken the grind profile, and lead to failure in the rivets that hold the handle to the blade.
    — Outdoor Life, 19 Feb. 2021

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

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