English · Word Candidate

dull

/dʌl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: duller · dullest · dulls · dulling

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

Adjective

All these knives are dull.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Boring; not exciting or interesting.

Adjective

He sat through the dull lecture and barely stayed awake.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

Verb

Years of misuse have dulled the tools.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy.

Verb

He drinks to dull the pain.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “dull” mean?

Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

Is “dull” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.